Panaji: Justice Bharat Deshpande of the Bombay High Court at Goa, on the day of his retirement on Friday, became the first person to sign his own Living Will or Advanced Medical Care Directive.
Indian Medical Association’s Goa Unit Chief Dr. Sandesh Chodankar, who had initiated this move to create awareness about signing a Living Will or Advanced Medical Care Directive, told PTI that this move by Justice Deshpande will help others come forward and sign such a document.
He said that Justice Deshpande became the first person to sign such a will.
“Justice Deshpande signed the document on Friday, the last day of his service as a Judge. The Living Will or Advanced Medical Care Directive helps a person to opt for dignity in the final moments of life,” he said.
Chodankar said that Justice Deshpande has shown the way forward for society at large, encouraging people to reflect on how their final journey should be in the case of unfortunate events leading to a terminal illness with no hope for recovery.
He said that such a will would be put into effect only after a specially nominated panel of doctors agrees with the medical futility for the patient.
Several officials of IMA, including former Goa State president Dr. Amol Mahaldar, Dr. Shekar Salkar (IMA Bicholim President), and Gazetted Officer Dr. Medha Salkar, were present.
Dr. Amol Mahaldar, Coordinator of the Organ Donation Cell of IMA Goa, explained that the collaboration of the Goa State Legal Services Authority and IMA Goa state, under the guidance of Senior Judge Mahesh Sonak and Judge Bharat Deshpande, after a wide consultative process with all stakeholders, made possible the operationalization of the Supreme Court of India’s guidelines (Jan 2023) on Living Wills and Withholding/Withdrawal of life support in terminally ill persons.
He said that Goa is the first state in the country to have this arrangement specifying the process of making a Living Will, the custodian, and experts nominated to the medical boards that will govern the implementation of this process.
“Justice Sonak himself became the first person to execute his Living Will, and this has been followed by many prominent doctors and citizens,” Mahaldar added.
