Kochouseph Chittilappally vindicated, 20 years later

Kochi: Chairman of V-Guard Industries and philanthropist Kochouseph Chittilappally who fought legally for euthanasia 20 years ago and could not succeed in the Kerala High Court is a happy man today after the Supreme Court verdict. Chittilappilly who is returning after an expedition to Antarctica and is now in Canada told DC over phone that the provision allowed by the Supreme Court for a living will is a landmark achievement.

“I was a 48-year-old then and though I have a lot of respect for the medical sector, I am of the opinion that profiteering is a motive for many private hospitals as in the case of other industries and there are targets for doctors and others working in the field.  There are cases where patients who are beyond redemption are treated to extract money from relatives by the hospitals. I wanted to execute a living will so that I can get an honourable death if life deteriorates to a point where I feel I don’t want to live. To an extent I wanted to decide how my old age should be,” Kochouseph said.

“The court has now allowed only passive euthanasia where it is allowed only in certain medical conditions. It is a good achievement considering current realities where, even if one executes a will, doctors will dispute it  as can family members. The Supreme Court judgement has changed all that,” said Kochouseph.

He said that the stand of religions against euthanasia is a stumbling block. “They say that we don’t have the right to take away the life which god has given. But in the end when one is left to suffer, there are none to fend off and family is drained out financially in the case of the poor,” he said.

Kochouseph said that the fate of Aruna Shaunbag and one Thomas Mash in Thrissur who failed to get permission from courts for euthanasia prompted him not to pursue his case further in the Supreme Court then. “The saddest part was that Thomas Mash later committed suicide,” he said.