Mumbai : A gynecologist from Mumbai, Dr Nikhil Datar, has notarised his ‘living will’ which states that treatments to artificially prolong dying should be withheld or discontinued if he has an “incurable, irreversible illness” or if he becomes unconscious and there is a high likelihood that he won’t recover. Dr. Datar is the first to make the will and he wants to set an example for others.
Dr Datar shared a copy of the will on social media so that people can use it as a guide. Dr Datar’s living will also advocate for palliative care. It states that the physician should give “necessary dose so as to provide maximum pain relief”. Although such medicines could lead to respiratory depression, he said that he wanted palliative care to “maintain my dignity till I die.”