36 Years Of Vegetative Existence!
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Her bones are brittle. Her skin is like ‘papier mache’ stretched over a skeleton. Her wrists are twisted inwards, her fingers are bent and fisted towards her palms, resulting in growing nails tearing into the flesh very often. Her teeth are decayed and giving her pain. Food is mashed and given to her in semi-solid form. She is in a persistent vegetative state.’
As per the report This is the pitiable state in which Aruna is existing since last 36 years, her condition is deteriorating every passing day. She is lying in Mumbai Hospital in a sufficiently well lit and ventilated room near thre bustling female ward. For Aruna Shanbag, who was sodomised by a ward boy 36 years ago, this room is her home.
The brutality of the incident sent shock waves across Mumbai. The ward boy waylaid Aruna, wrapped a dog chain around her neck and sodomised her. The chain cut off the blood and oxygen supply to her brain. She was paralysed and went into a coma, which left her speechless, blind and robbed her of her capacity to move.
‘At 5am, she is fed tea with bread crushed in it. Then at 9am, it is bath-cum-breakfast time. She is sponged daily, but is also given a bath in the room itself. Then there is lunch in the afternoon, tea and snacks in the evening and dinner at night,’’ said a ward boy. As Aruna is in a vegetative state, the food is spooned into her mouth. ‘‘Only women are allowed to enter the room, but we also feel for her. What happened was cruel,’’ he added unequivocally.
The woman, Aruna Ramachandra Shanbaug, does not want to live any more. Doctors have told her there is no chance of any improvement in her state. So she, through her ‘next friend’ Pinki Virani, decided to move the SC with a plea to ‘‘direct KEM Hospital not to force-feed her’’.
The Supreme Court has admitted her plea, but it has a few questions of its own,is this plea not akin to euthanasia? and does the right to live includes right to die.
But as per her counsel Shekhar Naphade countered: ‘‘Is not keeping the woman in this persistent vegetative state by force-feeding violative of her right to live with dignity guaranteed by Article 21 (right to life) of the Constitution?’
‘‘She is beyond cure. Let the court inquire about what medical science has in store for her. It appears there has been utter indifference of medical world towards her. The SC has to lay down some guideline in such cases,’’ he added. ‘‘She is going through a torture of a life. Is this human rights? Should the medical authorities not be activated to do something? This is not a case to be left aside and forgotten. The apex court must lay down some guidelines.
Setting aside its previous position on the issue, the bench agreed to examine the merits of the petition and sought responses from the Union government, Maharashtra, Municipal Corporation of Brihan Mumbai, Commissioner of Mumbai Police and Dean of KEM Hospital.
The argument may go on and on but the real suffferer will be always Aruna, poor unlucky Aruna who is paying this horrible price for no fault of hers.
