TMDA files petition to HRC for mercy killing
Hyderabad: The Telangana Muscular Dystrophy Association has filed a petition in the Human Rights Commission to allow all persons suffering from Muscular Dystrophy to kill themselves if they are not provided employment opportunities and social welfare benefits that would allow them to live a decent life.
Muscular Dystrophy results in increasing weakening and breakdown of skeletal muscles over time. There are differences among patients regarding which muscles are primarily affected, the degree of weakness, how fast the condition deteriorates, and when the symptoms begin.
There is no treatment for the disease and it is non-curable. In Telangana, there are 3,469 muscular dystrophy patients and most of them are unable to engage in daily activities such as walking.
The Telangana Muscular Dystrophy Association (TMDA) has 12 demands. These include disability pension, caregiver allowance, allotment of housing, power wheelchairs, unemployment allowance, white ration cards and Aarogyasri cards.
The petition before the Human Rights Commission says, patients are severely disabled and require a great deal of support as laid out in the RPWD Act 2016. ‘Either grant assistance for all above facilities within one month or allow mercy killing to muscular dystrophy persons’ the petition said.
The chairperson of the Telangana State Human Rights Commission, G. Chandraiah, has called for a report from the principal secretary to the government, the Women’s Development, Child Welfare and Disabled Welfare departments to be ready by March 19, 2020.