The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : `Allowing euthanasia will be disastrous'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Dec 12, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

`Allowing euthanasia will be disastrous'

By V. Geetanath

The Se'Dop president, P. Sudhakara Reddy, working on his laptop.

HYDERABAD, DEC. 11. The mercy killing plea and the offer to donate organs by K. Venkatesh, suffering from muscular dystrophy, is not only exercising the minds of medical professionals and legal luminaries but is also raising ethical issues.

As the euthanasia debate rages on, there are sections which feel the case of Venkatesh brings forth disturbing questions on treatment of persons suffering from severe disabilities, their care and support systems by the family and the Government. "If mercy killing is allowed it can have far reaching consequences," says P. Sudhakar Reddy, president, Society for Equal Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (Se'DOP).

Support system lacking

"There are many persons battling muscular dystrophy and any decision to provide for mercy killing can break the will of such persons and their family too. What has to be debated is lack of proper support systems and medical care rather than glorifying organ donation by the differently abled," argues Mr. Reddy, also the State Project Manager for Disabilities for `Velugu' - Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty.

"Till date no definite reason has been ascribed to cause muscular dystrophy and there is no cure for the disease that is likely to accelerate or de-accelerate, varying from person to person over years. But there are also people living with muscular dystrophy leading successful lives," he says.

Mr. Reddy suffers from muscular dystrophy but it has not stopped him from completing his engineering and post-graduation from the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in the 80s.

"I entered college as a normal person and came out with the disease. Doctors said it was hopeless but I was determined to complete my education and also got myself a job in Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. on merit," he says.

"I consider myself no different from others putting in 12 hours at work, the only difference is instead of two legs I use a wheel chair," he says. Mr. Reddy thinks he has been able to arrest the pace of debilitating growth of muscular dystrophy by leading an active life and refusing to be cowed down by it.

Sensitivity needed

The State and society should be more sensitive to the needs of the severely differently abled because there is always a chance of improvement till the last moment, he says and regrets that few celebrities have supported such causes here unlike in United States where support by film artiste, Jerry Lewis, revolutionised medicare and access facilities for them.

Mr. Reddy suggests that families with persons of muscular dystrophy come together to form support groups. Interested persons can contact him at: 1-4-879/60, SBI Officers Colony, Gandhinagar, Hyd-080, phones: 27612883/9848779701 & email: psreddy@hyd2dot. net.in.

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