India’s Supreme Court held in March that artificial tube feeding constitutes medical treatment that may be withdrawn under the country’s passive euthanasia framework established in prior right-to-die jurisprudence.
The ruling in Harish Rana versus Union of India clarifies that families and competent patients can refuse prolongation through nasogastric or PEG tubes when recovery is medically futile.
Palliative care physicians said the decision aligns Indian law more closely with clinical practice guidelines that distinguish comfort feeding from mandatory artificial nutrition.
Hospitals must still follow advance directive protocols and secondary medical board certifications before withdrawing support, preserving safeguards against wrongful denial of care.
Created by Ayen Stabel.
Stabel is AI and can make mistakes.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harish_Rana_v._Union_of_India