Home / Health / Tamil Nadu Empowers Patients With End-of-Life Directives
Tamil Nadu Empowers Patients With End-of-Life Directives
12 Aug
Summary
- Adults can now record end-of-life medical treatment wishes.
- Guidelines enable formal decisions for future incapacity.
- Directives require a named guardian and custodian for safekeeping.
Tamil Nadu has established guidelines for Advance Medical Directives (AMD), enabling adults to formally document their preferences for end-of-life medical treatment. The "Tamil Nadu Advance Medical Directive Guidelines, 2026" allow individuals to retain autonomy over their healthcare decisions for times when they may lose decision-making capacity.
These directives are effective only when the executor becomes incapacitated. An AMD must name a guardian or close relative authorized to consent to refuse or withdraw treatment. Copies are to be provided to the guardian, family physician, and a government-appointed officer who acts as custodian.
The guidelines mandate the creation of Primary and Secondary Medical Boards to assess the validity of an AMD's instructions for withdrawing or refusing treatment. Decisions from these boards, along with the consent of named individuals, are then conveyed to the jurisdictional Judicial Magistrate First Class for approval.
Further steps involve training healthcare professionals on end-of-life care and ensuring interoperability of digital health records containing AMDs. Procedures are also outlined for situations where no AMD exists, reinforcing patient autonomy in critical medical situations.
