what is advanced medical directive

What is the advance medical directive?
An Advance Medical Directive (AMD), often called a living will, is a document that tells doctors that a person does not want his life to be artificially prolonged if he has a terminal illness and is unable to express his wishes.
Under the Advance Medical Directive Act, an AMD can be executed only when a patient is certified with a terminal illness, needs extraordinary life-sustaining treatment, and is incapable of making rational judgment.

After the AMD has taken effect, a patient with terminal illness will still receive palliative care and medication.

Anyone who is aged 21 years and above and of a sound mind can make an AMD. A person who wishes to make an AMD can do so by completing a prescribed form, signed in the presence of two witnesses, and return it to the Registrar of AMD.

It is a voluntary decision and no one can make an AMD on behalf of another person. An AMD can be revoked at any time in the presence of at least one witness.

The Ministry of Health promotes AMD largely through doctors at clinics, nursing homes and hospitals, and through an information booklet available at health-care institutions which contains an AMD form. It is also available online.

Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan has said it is important to 'actively' encourage people to sign up for the AMD so that their wishes are known ahead of time.

One way to make it easier is to remove the need for a doctor to witness its signing, now a requirement.

Before any amendment to the law is made, public consultations will be held.

AMD is not euthanasia. The AMD Act does not encourage euthanasia. On the contrary, the Act is explicitly and categorically against euthanasia.

To clear up the misconception that an AMD equates euthanasia, Mr Khaw proposed that the explanations of AMD be made in a plainer and clearer form, and in different languages.