On the European Life Network blog, Pat Buckley has an interesting post about a case in India that raises some of the same issues presented in the Terri Schiavo case. http://europeanlifenetwork.blogspot.com/2011/02/could-this-be-indias-terry-schiavo-case.html
The case involves Aruna Shanbaug who has been seriously disabled since 1973. One interesting twist is that the effort to have Ms. Shanbaug’s feeding halted comes from a writer who has written a book about Ms. Shanbaug. The writer contends that Aruna’s quality of life falls below that guaranteed by the Indian Constitution. The Indian Supreme Court has ordered a 3 member panel to examine Aruna’s condition.
The hospital [KEM]has opposed the effort to halt Aruna’s feeding. According to an article in The Independent on the case:
“Officials at KEM have denounced …[the writer’s] claims, insisting Ms Shanbaug is not in as dire a condition as the writer suggests. Dr Sanjay Oak, the dean of KEM, told Mumbai’s DNA newspaper: ‘She means a lot to KEM. She is on a liquid diet and loves listening to music. We have never subjected her to intravenous food or fed her via a tube. When those looking after her do not have a problem, I don’t understand why a party who has nothing to do with her needs to worry.’ He added: ‘We have no moral right to terminate her life. I am against euthanasia for Shanbaug.’ ”
Richard M.