Advance Medical Directive Act 1996 - Singapore Statutes Online

Interpretation

2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —

“directive” means an advance medical directive made under section 3;

[Deleted by Act 11 of 2023 wef 01/05/2023]

“Director‑General” means the Director‑General of Health;

[Act 11 of 2023 wef 01/05/2023]

“extraordinary life‑sustaining treatment” means any medical procedure or measure which, when administered to a terminally ill patient, will only prolong the process of dying when death is imminent, but excludes palliative care;

“medical practitioner” means a person who is registered, or deemed to be registered, as a medical practitioner under the Medical Registration Act 1997;

“palliative care” includes —

(a)	the provision of reasonable medical procedures for the relief of pain, suffering or discomfort; and
(b)	the reasonable provision of food and water;

“patient” means any person (whether or not he or she is undergoing any medical treatment, care or therapy) who is not mentally disordered, who has attained 21 years of age and who has made or desires to make a directive in accordance with this Act;

“recovery”, in relation to a terminal illness, includes a remission of symptoms or effects of the illness;

“register” means the register of advance medical directives established under section 6;

“Registrar” means the Registrar of Advance Medical Directives appointed under section 6 and includes a Deputy Registrar and an Assistant Registrar;

“specialist” means a medical practitioner who possesses such postgraduate medical qualifications as the Director‑General may recognise for the purposes of this Act;

[Act 11 of 2023 wef 01/05/2023]

“terminal illness” means an incurable condition caused by injury or disease from which there is no reasonable prospect of a temporary or permanent recovery where —

(a)	death would, within reasonable medical judgment, be imminent regardless of the application of extraordinary life‑sustaining treatment; and
(b)	the application of extraordinary life‑sustaining treatment would only serve to postpone the moment of the patient’s death. [21/2008]

Search within Legislation