Govt responds to mercy killing plea for 8-month-old with medical help

Mangalore Today News Network

Hyderabad, Jun 25, 2016: The Andhra Pradesh government has offered help to a eight-month-old child suffering from a rare liver disease after her parents approached a court in Chittoor district seeking mercy killing.

Ramanappa and Saraswati, agricultural labourers from the RS Kothapalli village in Chittoor district, had approached the Tamballapalle civil court asking for permission to kill their daughter, Gnana Sai, through passive euthanasia.

Ramanappa told local media that Gnana Sai was treated for five months in Bengaluru and underwent an operation, but to no avail.

“The parents could not bear the huge cost of treatment for the disease and they approached a court in Chittoor district seeking mercy killing for the baby as they were unable to see her pain,” a state government release said on Friday.

State health minister Kamineni Srinivas took up the matter with chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who announced that help would be provided to the child from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.

The baby was taken to a liver specialist Mohammed Rela, who suggested that she needed a liver transplant surgery urgently, the release added, adding, the father would donate his liver to the daughter in the operation to be conducted in a major hospital in Chennai next Monday.

Officials have completed all arrangements for the surgery to be performed in Chennai, the statement said.