Following the Supreme Court's (SC) directives, the BMC has appointed medical health officials in the 24 administrative wards to act as custodians for receiving and safekeeping the living wills or Advance Medical Directives (AMD) of citizens who wish to die with dignity. The names, contact numbers, email addresses, and other information of these custodians are now made available on BMC's website: https://www.mcgm.gov.in.
When a person is admitted to a hospital and placed on life support without hope of recovery, relatives often feel confused about whether to withdraw that support. This uncertainty can be overwhelming when a person is critically ill. To address this, individuals can prepare an AMD, also known as a living will. This legal document outlines the medical treatments they would or would not want, as well as preferences for other decisions like pain management or organ donation. On January 24, 2024, the SC issued directives regarding the right to a dignified death. According to these directives, interested citizens should submit a copy of their living will to the appropriate authority within the local administration, municipal corporation, municipality, or panchayat committee for safekeeping.
The BMC has appointed medical health officers in all 24 wards as custodians to maintain these documents for public convenience. Additionally, assistant deputy executive health officers in the BMC's Public Health Department, responsible for managing birth and death registrations, have been appointed to assist in this matter. "As per the apex court directives a person must notarise two copies of the living will. One copy should be submitted to the custodian, while the other can be kept with the family. In an emergency, families can present this copy to the doctor. The custodian can verify the document before a final decision is made," said a civic health official.
