GHAZIABAD, Mar 16 : Meditative chants in the background, a loving hand on his forehead and the calm of words telling him ‘theek hai’… with that, the family of Harish Rana, in a coma for more than 12 years, prepared him for his final journey from their home in Ghaziabad to AIIMS Delhi where he will breathe his last.
The 31-year-old is the first person in India to be allowed passive euthanasia. In its landmark judgment last week, the Supreme Court also directed AIIMS-Delhi to ensure that life support is withdrawn with a tailored plan so that dignity is maintained.
The medical institute has initiated protocols to implement the court verdict allowing passive euthanasia, a process that will take about two to three weeks, insiders said.
A specialised medical team headed by Dr Seema Mishra, professor and head of the department of anaesthesia and palliative medicine, has been constituted to implement the process, the first ever in India.
The team comprises doctors from departments of neurosurgery, onco-anaesthesia and palliative medicine, and psychiatry.
Harish has been shifted to AIIMS, and his family is getting ready to say adieu to the young man who fell from a fourth floor balcony in 2013 and suffered severe head injuries. He has been in a coma since.
A video from the Rana home in Ghaziabad shows relatives offering prayers as a member of the Brahma Kumaris puts a ’tilak’ on Harish’s forehaead and says softly, “Sabko maaf karte hue, sabse maafi mangte hue, so jaao theek hai… (Forgiving everyone and asking forgiveness from everyone. Now sleep. It’s okay).”
The Brahma Kumari in the heartbreaking video is Sister Lovely from the Mohan Nagar Seva Kendra in Ghaziabad, Komal, a member of the Brahma Kumaris based at Mount Abu, told PTI over phone.
The entire spiritual process took place at the Rana’s Ghaziabad home just before he was shifted to AIIMS on Saturday, Sister Lovely later told PTI over phone.
She said that four sisters had visited Rana’s household.
“It was a surreal experience for us as well. We prayed for him and told him that whatever was being done was in his best interest, to relieve him of his suffering and to set him free. We urged the soul ‘udd jao’… fly away peacefully,” she said.
Earlier, explaining the rituals Sister Lovely and others offered at Rana’s home, Komal said, “She is following a ritual with the words that mean he (Harish) leave the world in a happy state, seeking and giving forgiveness… it is part of a meditative chant that comforts the soul and eases the entire process of the soul merging with the sublime.”
She added that the family has been deeply spiritually inclined, which helped them endure the difficult 13-year period of caring for Harish.
“Although the couple has another son, advancing age had begun to worry them about who would look after Harish in the future once they were no longer able to,” she said, adding that members of the organisation counselled the family during this phase.
The family is reluctant to talk. Harish’s father Ashok Rana who had earlier told PTI that the family will not go public with his son’s shifting to the Delhi hospital, could not be reached for comment.
According to Komal, alongside medical consultations, the family also sought spiritual guidance as they prepared for the inevitable in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directions.
The apex court allowed withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment after medical boards concluded his condition was irreversible and continued clinical intervention would not restore neurological function.
Ashok Rana, who had approached the apex court seeking permission for passive euthanasia, said after the verdict that the decision is extremely painful but necessary.
“No parent would ever want to see their son in such a condition,” he said, adding that the decision was taken in his son’s best interests.
“We believe that in the larger public interest the decision could help families of many people who may be in a condition like Harish,” Ashok Rana told reporters outside his residence.
The Supreme Court in its judgement on Wednesday clarified that the order does not amount to active euthanasia but involves withdrawal of the feeding tube and continuation of palliative care so that the natural process of death may take place with dignity.
Following the judgment, Ghaziabad District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar Mandar and Municipal Commissioner Vikramaditya Malik visited their residence and assured them of assistance.
Officials said the state government has approved financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh for the family from the chief minister’s discretionary relief fund. The administration also announced that a shop will be allotted to the family free of cost to help ensure a stable livelihood.
According to officials, an initial sum of Rs 2.5 lakh had already been provided through public contributions, and the administration is also facilitating the family’s access to various welfare schemes.
The prolonged medical care had placed severe financial strain on the household. Neighbours said Ashok Rana and his wife Nirmala had earlier sold their house in Delhi to fund their son’s treatment. (PTI)
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