'Death by will' under scrutiny

NEW DELHI: The Indian government said on Wednesday that it opposed allowing terminally ill people to voluntarily end their lives, adding such patients should instead be given psychiatric treatment.   

"An individual may wish to die at a certain point of time, his wish may not be persistent and may be only a fleeting desire out of transient depression," the government said in a statement to India's Supreme Court.   

The Supreme Court had asked for a government response as it decides on whether it should be legal for a doctor to withdraw treatment from a terminally ill patient with their consent, allowing them to die.   

Currently a doctor doing so would risk facing criminal and civil prosecution.   

The court was asked to examine the law by an advocacy group called Common Cause, which says those with terminal illnesses should be allowed to make a 'living will', allowing them to 'die in dignity'.   

The government argued that a doctor helping a patient to die would be a breach of the Hippocratic Oath, the ancient pledge made by doctors to never do a patient harm.   

It also said that advances in medical science made euthanasia increasingly unnecessary.   

"Good pain management and rehabilitation can help patients to lead near-normal lives, and euthanasia may not be required," it said.    

Parliament last debated the subject when it was preparing the Euthanasia (Regulation) Bill of 2002.   

The court case continues.