FIRST LIVING WILL REGISTERED IN KANPUR

KANPUR: The first living will was registered in the city on Saturday following the Supreme Court’s landmark judgement on passive euthanasia on March 9 stating that a terminally-ill patient or a person in persistent vegetative state can execute an “advance medical directive” or a “living will” to refuse medical treatment.

The living will is a written document and gives the right to any person to make a will in favour of somebody for taking decision with regard to his treatment in case he suffers from a serious disease and is unable to take decision on his own.

As of now, a will is executable only after the death of the person concerned.

Advocate Sharad Kumar Tripathi (35) made the will which was registered with Zone III of the office of the deputy registrar in Kanpur.

Deputy registrar VS Verma said the living will was registered on Special Power of Attorney because currently there is no provision of registering a living will in the existing software but all the registration work was done online.

In his will, Tripathi gave all rights to one of his juniors, Amitesh Singh Senger. Jitendra Shukla and Gopal Prajapati were witnesses.

Asked as why did he did not name his wife or any other close relative in the will, he said a living will could be made in anyone’s name who is close to the will maker.

“My junior is the most trusted one and he can never think ill of me. Hence, I chose him for the living will,” he said.

In the will, Tripathi wrote that if he fell sick, went into coma or lost his mental equilibrium and was unable to take any decision about his treatment, his nominee would have all the legal powers to decide about his treatment and well being.

A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court in its decision had approved passive euthanasia on a petition filed by Common Cause and had also allowed one to make a living will saying that the right to live with dignity also includes “smoothening” the process of dying.