The Union Health Ministry has released preliminary guidelines regarding passive euthanasia. These guidelines, titled 'Draft Guidelines for Withdrawal of Life Support in Terminally Ill Patients,' aim to define terminal illness as a condition that is irreversible and incurable, leading to inevitable death in the foreseeable future. The ministry invites feedback and suggestions from stakeholders on the draft until October 20. The guidelines are based on four key conditions: determining brainstem death, receiving a medical opinion that the patient's illness is advanced and will not benefit from further treatment, obtaining documented informed refusal from the patient or surrogate to continue life support, and following the procedures outlined by the Supreme Court.

In response to the draft guidelines, Dr. R V Asokan, the national President of the IMA, emphasized that such clinical decisions have always been made in good faith by doctors. He stated that decisions are made based on the merits of each case, with thorough explanations and consultations with the patient's relatives. Dr. Asokan highlighted the importance of leaving certain decisions to the discretion of the patient's family, healthcare providers, and based on scientific evidence and the specific circumstances of each case.

Passive euthanasia involves the intentional withholding or withdrawal of medical treatments and life-sustaining interventions, allowing a person to pass away naturally from their underlying condition. This may include discontinuing therapies such as ventilators, feeding tubes, or medications that sustain the patient's life. Unlike active euthanasia, which involves taking direct actions to cause death, passive euthanasia allows death to occur by refraining from intervening in the natural progression of the illness.The decision to consider passive euthanasia is often made in cases of terminal illness, minimal chances of recovery, or persistent vegetative state. Passive euthanasia choices are typically based on the patient's preferences, advance directives, or input from family and healthcare proxies if the patient is unable to decide for themselves. While this practice raises ethical concerns, it is legal in various countries under specific guidelines and circumstances.

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Euthanasia is permitted in several countries. Legal euthanasia is practiced in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Spain, while Switzerland allows assisted suicide. Canada allows both forms of euthanasia and assisted suicide, and select U.S. states like Oregon, Washington, and California permit assisted suicide with stringent regulations. Colombia has also legalized euthanasia. Each country or region has set criteria, such as terminal illness or unbearable suffering, that must be met for euthanasia or assisted suicide to be conducted legally.