Cerebral Palsy: Father moves HC to seek mercy killing for 23-year old

Published On 2019-03-14 05:00 GMT   |   Update On 2019-03-14 05:00 GMT
Advertisement
He said the doctors have said she will never recover from the disease and will have to spend her entire life in the same condition.

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court issued the notice to the state government on a petition by a man seeking mercy killing of his 23-year-old daughter suffering from cerebral palsy, a set of neurological disorders that affect muscle movement and coordination.

Justice A Y Kogje issued the notice to the government and the medical superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital on the petition filed by Devendra Rajgor, the father of Vaidehi.
Advertisement





In his petition, Rajgor said the elder of his two daughters suffers from cerebral palsy, an incurable disease caused by the disruption in brain development.

He sought direction to the respondent authority to end the "miserable life" of Vaidehi.

Her medical condition has been worsening day by day, he said, adding she suffers from a seizure, has difficulties in walking, eating, speech development, precise motion, vision and hearing, among other things.

Rajgor said his daughter is unable to move and her life is "not less than a curse" as she cannot perform routine chores and needs help from family members.

He said the doctors have said she will never recover from the disease and will have to spend her entire life in the same condition.

"She can breathe, see, understand, but she is in a pitiful situation, like a living dead body," he said in the petition.

The Medical Dialogues team earlier reported that a similar petition was drafted in Madras High Court by the father of a 9-year old child who was suffering from epileptic seizures, caused by a disturbance in the electrical activity of the brain, ranging between 10 and 20 times a day when controlled by medicines.

He spent Rs 10,000 per month to meet medication expenses. Since all the doctors he had consulted had concurred that there is no scope of recovery in such a case, the petitioner urged the court to permit him to withdraw all forms of food, nutrition, and medicine to his son and smoothen his process of dying.

Read Also: Passive Euthanasia: HC directs medical panel to examine 9-yr-old boy
Tags:    

Disclaimer: This website is primarily for healthcare professionals. The content here does not replace medical advice and should not be used as medical, diagnostic, endorsement, treatment, or prescription advice. Medical science evolves rapidly, and we strive to keep our information current. If you find any discrepancies, please contact us at corrections@medicaldialogues.in. Read our Correction Policy here. Nothing here should be used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We do not endorse any healthcare advice that contradicts a physician's guidance. Use of this site is subject to our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and Advertisement Policy. For more details, read our Full Disclaimer here.

NOTE: Join us in combating medical misinformation. If you encounter a questionable health, medical, or medical education claim, email us at factcheck@medicaldialogues.in for evaluation.

Our comments section is governed by our Comments Policy . By posting comments at Medical Dialogues you automatically agree with our Comments Policy , Terms And Conditions and Privacy Policy .

Similar News