Advance Medical Directive (Amendment) Regulations 2011

Status:

Published in Subsidiary Legislation Supplement
on 14 Apr 2011

No. S 188

Advance Medical Directive Act

(CHAPTER 4A)

Advance Medical Directive
(Amendment) Regulations 2011

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 22 of the Advance Medical Directive Act, the Minister for Health hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation and commencement

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Advance Medical Directive (Amendment) Regulations 2011 and shall come into operation on 18th April 2011.

Amendment of Schedule

2. Form 1 in the Schedule to the Advance Medical Directive Regulations (Rg 1) is deleted and the following form substituted therefore:

“

FORM 1

MAKING OF ADVANCE MEDICAL DIRECTIVE

ADVANCE MEDICAL DIRECTIVE ACT [CHAPTER 4A, SECTION 3]

ADVANCE MEDICAL DIRECTIVE REGULATIONS

PERSON MAKING THE ADVANCE MEDICAL DIRECTIVE

SCHEDULE DIRECTIVE

I hereby make this advance medical directive that if I should suffer from a terminal illness and if I should become unconscious or incapable of exercising rational judgment so that I am unable to communicate my wishes to my doctor, no extraordinary life-sustaining treatment should be applied or given to me.

I understand that “terminal illness” in the Advance Medical Directive Act 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 death.

3.	I understand that “extraordinary life-sustaining treatment” in the Advance Medical Directive Act 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.

4.	This directive shall not affect any right, power or duty which a medical practitioner or any other person has in giving me palliative care, including the provision of reasonable medical procedures to relieve pain, suffering or discomfort, and the reasonable provision of food and water.

I make this directive in the presence of the two witnesses named on page 2.

_______________________
Signature/Thumb Print

_____________
Date

INSTRUCTIONS ON THE REGISTRATION OF THE ADVANCE MEDICAL DIRECTIVE

1.	The person making the advance medical directive should complete this form and send it in a sealed envelope by mail or by hand to the Registrar of Advance Medical Directives at the address given below. Faxed copies will not be accepted.

The advance medical directive is only valid when it is registered with the Registrar of Advance Medical Directives. The Registrar will send the maker of the directive an acknowledgement when the directive has been registered.

The Registry of Advance Medical Directives
Ministry of Health, College of Medicine Building, 16 College Road, Singapore 169854
Tel: 63259136 Fax: 63259212

(Please direct all enquiries to this address)

(Both witnesses please read the NOTES FOR THE WITNESS below before signing)

NOTES FOR WITNESS

A witness shall be a person who to the best of his knowledge —

(a)

is not a beneficiary under the patient’s will or any policy of insurance;

(b)

has no interest under any instrument under which the patient is the donor, settlor or grantor;

(c)

would not be entitled to an interest in the estate of the patient on the patient’s death intestate;

(d)

would not be entitled to an interest in the moneys of the patient held in the Central Provident Fund or other provident fund on the death of that patient; and

(e)

has not registered an objection under section 10(1) of the Advance Medical Directive Act.

FIRST WITNESS (This witness must be a registered medical practitioner)

I have taken reasonable steps in the circumstances to ensure that the maker of this directive —

(a)	is not mentally disordered;
(b)	has attained the age of 21 years;
(c)	has made the directive voluntarily and without inducement or compulsion; and
(d)	has been informed of the nature and consequences of making the directive.

I declare that this directive is made and signed in my presence together with the witness named below.

_____________________
Signature of
the Medical Practitioner

_____________________
Name/Clinic Stamp of
the Medical Practitioner

______________
Date

Note: As a guide for the purposes of ensuring that the maker of the directive is not mentally disordered, the medical practitioner should ascertain whether the maker —

(a)

understands the nature and implications of the directive;

(b)

is oriented to time and space; and

(c)

is able to name himself and his immediate family members.

SECOND WITNESS (This witness must be at least 21 years of age)

”.

Made this 12th day of April 2011.

YONG YING-I

Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Health,
Singapore.

[MH 78:68/2 Vol. 3; AG/LLRD/SL/4A/2011/1 Vol. 1]

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