Family Petitions Court for Euthanasia Because Unable to Afford Treatment

There is no evidence that any of the thousands of United States patients who have obtained medical aid in dying prescriptions did so because they could not afford treatment. Indeed, almost every one was already on hospice, so they had forgone curative-directed treatment in favor of hospice.

But a new court case in India illustrates the concerns of some opponents. A couple moved a court in Andhra Pradesh (one of the most southeastern of the 29 Indian states) seeking permission for mercy killing of their one-year-old daughter, as they are unable to afford her treatment costs.

The family will surely lose. But based on the typical speed of judicial proceedings in India, the child would probably reach adulthood before a judgment in any case.