REINFORCING RIGHT TO LIFE UNDER THE LENS OF PALLIATIVE HEALTHCARE IN INDIA

Provisions to a dignified end to life definitely must be a concern that our constitutional founders had in mind while framing the foundation of our nation. The term "Palliative care" was coined much later. The WHO defined palliative care as "an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial, and spiritual”. The Government of India formed a committee in 2006 to create a national policy for palliative care. However, even after the being hit by Corona times, the National Policy for palliative care has not seen the light of the day. In view of the above, the study aims to explore Palliative Care under the provisions of Article 21 and other fundamental rights; it aims to interrogate the aspect of ‘dignity’; the role of the Government; evolution of the field through judicial proceedings; legal position in other jurisdictions of the world and an urgent need to reinforce “Palliative healthcare” in India.