Goa Khabar : Justice Bharat Deshpande of High Court of Bombay at Goa retired on 6th December and was given a beautiful send off including _Sanman Guard_
The last document he signed on the day was his own _Living will_ or Advanced Medical Care Directive . Opting for Dignity in his final moments Justice Deshpande has shown the way foward to the society at large encouraging people to reflect how their final journey should be in case of unfortunate events leading to a terminal illness with no hope for recovery. Citizen can now decide in advance the treatment they would like to recieve or not with detailed instructions about the same with their family and personal physicians through this living will. Such a will be put into effect only after a specially nominate panel of doctors agree with medical Futility for the patient.
Present on the occasion as witness were Dr Sandesh Chodanker IMA Goa State president, Dr Amol mahaldar,Dr Shekar Salkar IMA Bicholim President and as Gazetted Officer Dr Medha Salkar, state program officer incharge Ophthalmic and Hepatitis Cell of DHS and his wife, children and other family members!
Dr Amol Mahaldar Cordinator Organ Donation cell of IMA Goa explained that the collaboration of Goa State Legal Services Authority and IMA Goa state under the guidance of Senior Judge Mahesh Sonak and judge Bharat Deshpande after wide consultative process with all stakeholders made possible Operationalising the Supreme Court of India Guideline (Jan 2023) on Living Will and Withholding/Withdrawal of life support in terminally ill persons.
Goa is the first state in the country to have this arrangement specifying the process of making living will, the Custodian and experts nominated on the Medical boards which will govern the implementation of this process. Justice Sonak himself became the first person to execute his Living Will and has been followed by many prominent Doctors and Citizens.
