Goemkarponn Desk
PANAJI: Goa became the first state in India to implement the advanced medical directive (living will) system in accordance with guidelines established by the Indian Supreme Court.
Justice Mahesh Sonak of the Bombay High Court had the distinction of being the first Goan to create a “living will” and to release the pamphlet on “Advanced Medical Directives” or “Living Wills.”
In addition to Sonak, the “living will” documents were also signed by Dinesh Shetty and Dr. Sandesh Chodankar of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Goa branch.
Patients who are nearing the end of a life-threatening illness, such as cancer, dementia, or even severe heart disease, are incapable of making decisions for themselves. A living will aids physicians in making decisions about the patient’s next steps and when to stop treatment and remove the ventilator in such circumstances.
In the last stages of a terminal illness, the patient gives the doctor permission to make decisions on their behalf by creating a “living will” through a formal legal document.
The Indian Supreme Court has mandated the nationwide implementation of this kind of system. The ‘Advanced Medical Instructions’ booklet, published by Justice Sonak, outlines the specific medico-legal parameters of this regime. In Goa, anyone can now execute a ‘Living Will’.
