The Universal Declaration of Human Rights “Recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world”
As people approach the end of their lives, they and their families commonly face tasks and decisions that include a broad array of choices ranging from simple to extremely complex. They may be practical, psychosocial, spiritual, legal, existential, or medical in nature. For example, dying persons and their families are faced with choices about what kind of caregiver help they want or need and whether to receive care at home or in an institutional treatment setting. Dying persons may have to make choices about the desired degree of family involvement in caregiving and decision-making. They frequently make legal decisions about wills, advanced directives, and durable powers of attorney. They may make choices about how to expend their limited time and energy. Some may want to reflect on the meaning of life, and some may decide to do a final life review or to deal with psychologically unfinished business. Some may want to participate in planning rituals before or after death.
All end-of-life choices and medical decisions have complex psychosocial components, ramifications, and consequences that have a significant impact on suffering and the quality of living and dying. However, the medical end-of-life decisions are often the most challenging for terminally ill people and those who care about them.
SC allows passive euthanasia in India
The Supreme Court allowed passive euthanasia, or withholding treatment essential to life for a terminally-ill patient. It said human beings have a right to die with dignity.
The 5-0 ruling was given by a constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra. The court directives on this will prevail until the Centre brings a legislation.
The bench said life support can be pulled only after statutory medical board declares a patient incurable.
The top court also sanctioned living will – a document by which patients tell doctors what kind of medical treatment they would like in case of a serious illness. It issued guidelines in governing execution of living will and passive euthanasia in the absence of living wills.
The ruling stems from a petition filed by an NGO ‘Common Cause’, who had approached the court seeking a direction for recognition of ‘living will’ and contended that when a medical expert said that a person afflicted with terminal disease had reached a point of no return, then she should be given the right to refuse being put on life support.
‘How can a person be told that he/she does not have right to prevent torture on his body? Right to life includes right to die with dignity. A person cannot be forced to live on support of ventilator. Keeping a patient alive by artificial means against his/her wishes is an assault on his/her body,’ the petition said.
The Centre, however, had reportedly told the court that the government had in principle decided to decriminalise attempt to suicide which at present is an offence punishable by up to one year jail term under Section 309 of Indian Penal Code.
Living Will : Living will is a written document that allows a patient to give explicit instructions in advance about the medical treatment to be administered when he or she is terminally ill or no longer able to express informed consent.
It includes authorizing their families to switch off life support in case a medical board declared that they were beyond medical help. Succession Planning Succession planning is the strategy for passing on leadership roles and often the ownership of a company to an employee or group of employees. Succession planning, also known as “replacement planning,” ensures that businesses continue to run smoothly after a company’s most important people move on to new opportunities, retire or pass away. It can also provide a liquidity event enabling the transfer of ownership in a going concern to rising employees.
There are several advantages for both employers and employees to having a formalized succession plan in place:
• Employees know that there is a chance for advancement and possibly ownership, which can lead to higher satisfaction.
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• Succession planning can cultivate a new generation of leaders, thereby providing an exit strategy for business owners who want to sell their stake
