Aruna Shanbaug case

Aruna Shanbaug

Aruna Shanbaug case was a landmark event in Indian legal history that highlighted the ethical, legal, and medical dilemmas surrounding euthanasia and patient rights. Aruna Ramchandra Shanbaug was a nurse at the King Edward Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, who, on the night of November 27, 1973, was sexually assaulted by a ward boy named Sohanlal Bhartha Walmiki. The assault left her in a vegetative state for 42 years until her death in 2015.

Background

Aruna Shanbaug was born in 1948 in Haldipur, Karnataka, India. She moved to Mumbai for her nursing training and was employed at the King Edward Memorial Hospital. The attack on Shanbaug caused severe brain damage because she was strangled with a dog chain, cutting off the oxygen supply to her brain. Following the assault, Shanbaug was diagnosed with cerebral atrophy, cortical blindness, and was in a persistent vegetative state, unable to move or speak, but could respond to certain stimuli.

Legal Battle

The case of Aruna Shanbaug is significant because it prompted a discussion on passive euthanasia in India. In 2009, a plea for euthanasia was filed with the Supreme Court of India by journalist Pinki Virani, who had written a book on Shanbaug's life and argued that the continued existence of Aruna in a vegetative state violated her right to live with dignity.

The Supreme Court delivered its landmark judgment on March 7, 2011. It rejected the plea for euthanasia but issued a set of guidelines legalizing passive euthanasia under certain conditions, thereby distinguishing it from active euthanasia. The court ruled that life support could be legally withdrawn for patients in a permanent vegetative state with the consent of family members and approval from a team of doctors. However, in Shanbaug's case, the court noted that the hospital staff who had taken care of her for decades did not support euthanizing her, and thus, her life support was not withdrawn.

Impact and Legacy

The Aruna Shanbaug case has had a profound impact on the discourse surrounding euthanasia in India. It led to the recognition of passive euthanasia by the Supreme Court, which marked a significant shift in the legal and ethical landscape of patient care in India. The case also raised questions about the rights of patients, medical ethics, and the responsibilities of caregivers and medical practitioners.

Following her death on May 18, 2015, due to pneumonia, Shanbaug's life and the legal battles that ensued have continued to be a point of reference in discussions about euthanasia, patient rights, and medical ethics in India and around the world.

See Also

• Euthanasia in India
• Patient rights
• Medical ethics