A 25-year-old woman in Kerala,โ India, ended her life on Novemberโ 20, 2023, after years of debilitating pain caused by a rare nerve disease, prompting renewed discussionโข about assisted dying and palliative care access in the country. reshma, as she was identified inโข reports, left a poignant note pleading for โrelease from โคher suffering: “Please let me go.”
Reshma‘s case highlights the โขchallenges faced by โคindividuals with chronic, untreatable conditions and raises critical questions about autonomy, end-of-life choices, and the availability of comprehensive pain management. Her decision follows a legal battle to end her life, ultimately denied by the โคKerala High Court, and underscores the complex ethical โand legal landscape surrounding euthanasia andโ physician-assisted suicideโฃ inโข India, where such practices remain largely prohibited. Theโฃ incident is expected to fuel further debate โon legalizing passiveโ euthanasia under โคstrict guidelines.
Diagnosed with a rare nerve โฃdisorder that caused relentless, excruciatingโ pain,โ reshma endured years of medical โฃtreatment with limited โrelief. Doctors confirmed the progressive nature of her condition, stating there was no prospect of betterment. despite โundergoing various therapies, her โคpain remained unmanageable, severely impacting her quality of life.
After initially receiving permission from a local โขcourt to end her life, the Kerala High โขCourt overturned the decision on november 16,โ 2023, citing concernsโ about potentialโ misuse and the need for further medical evaluation.Reshma then appealed to the Supreme Court,โ which also declined to intervene, leaving her with limited โoptions.
In her suicideโข note, Reshma expressed her desperation and thanked her parents for their support. Authorities confirmed her death occurred atโค her residence in Thiruvananthapuram. the case has sparked widespread grief and renewed calls for legislation that would allow individuals facing unbearable suffering to make informed decisions about their end-of-life โคcare, with appropriate safeguards and medical oversight.
