What is an Advance Medical Directive?
It is a legal document that you sign in advance to inform the doctor treating you (in the event you become terminally ill and unconscious) that you do not want any extraordinary life-sustaining treatment to be used to prolong your life.
Making an AMD is a voluntary decision. It is entirely up to you whether you wish to make one. It is a criminal offence for any person to force you to make one against your will.
Benefits of an AMD
It provides clear instructions to healthcare providers and loved ones, reducing uncertainty and stress during critical moments.
An AMD helps avoid potential conflicts among family members about treatment decisions and can prevent unwanted or unnecessary medical interventions.
It empowers individuals to maintain control over their healthcare and can facilitate a more dignified end-of-life experience.
How to make an AMD?
Anyone who is aged 21 years old and above, and is not mentally disordered can make an AMD. Simply follow these steps:
Download the AMD Form and fill it up accordingly.
The AMD must be made through a doctor (you do not need either a lawyer or legal advice to make an AMD). You need to have two people witness you sign the AMD and they must sign the form as witnesses in your presence. One witness must be the doctor. The second witness must be 21 years or above and can be the doctor’s nurse, or any other suitable person. If the witnesses are relatives, they are allowed to act as witness if they have no vested interests in your demise.
Mail the completed form in a sealed envelope by mail or by hand to: Registrar of Advance Medical Directives at Ministry of Health, College of Medicine Building, 16 College Road, Singapore 169854.
Your AMD will be valid only when it is registered with the Registrar of Advanced Medical Directives. The Registrar will send you an acknowledgement when your AMD has been registered.
Make an appointment with us at any of our clinics. On the day of the appointment, please bring the AMD Form and your identification card for verification at the clinic.
Can I revoke the AMD?
An AMD can be revoked at any time in the presence of at least one witness. You should do so by completing AMD Form 3, which is the standard form for revocation of an AMD. (Those who have made an AMD will receive Form 3 together with Form 2, which confirms that their AMD has been registered by the Registry of AMDs)
Alternatively, you or your witness could write a simple letter to the Registrar of AMDs.
The letter should contain the following information:
The name and NRIC of both the person revoking the AMD and the witness, along with their addresses and home and office telephone numbers.
Time, date and place where the revocation was made.
If the letter is written by the witness, the method of communication which the person used to communicate his intention to revoke the AMD (e.g. orally, sign language, etc.)
Revocations should be sent to the Registry of AMDs as soon as possible.
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