MUMBAI, April 8 -- The state government has created a digital platform for citizens to register Advance Medical Directives (AMDs) or living wills in which they delineate their end-of-life choices. Custodians for these wills, preferably medical officers, will be appointed at the local level to facilitate the retrieval of data when the wills are required to be executed. This will help citizens choose their treatment preferences during a terminal illness, prevent disputes, and give legal clarity during critical medical situations. The state's guidelines encompass detailed procedures for the execution, registration, and safekeeping of living wills. The framework aligns with judicial directions and seeks to institutionalise a transparent, accessible system across urban and rural local bodies. The digital platform has been formulated as per the SC and HC rulings of 2023 and 2025. The state government started receiving such wills immediately after the court directives, with the Malabar Hill authorities alone getting 84 such wills in the last few months. The online platform is expected to go live in the next two days, and citizens can upload their living wills on it for a payment of Rs.1,000. The wills can be registered offline as well for the same fee. Local bodies have been directed to appoint custodians who will be responsible for receiving, verifying, recording and securely maintaining the directives. The custodian will be the point of reference for retrieval and validation when asked by hospitals or family members. The living will system is a major step toward recognising an individual's right to decide their medical treatment in advance, especially in end-of-life scenarios. It reduces ambiguity for doctors and families, who often face ethical and legal dilemmas in critical care decisions. "The SC and HC, while hearing a petition filed by Dr Nikhil Datar, had upheld the legality of the living will as coming under the Right to Die with Dignity granted under Article 21," said an official from the urban development department. "Maharashtra is the first state to establish such a platform." The department issued the guidelines on Tuesday. The officials said that after the high court directive, the local authorities had been getting AMDs but had not been able to take a call on them for want of guidelines. "But now the digital gateway has been established and will start functioning in the next two days," he said. "The custodians are expected to act upon the applications in eight days." While explaining the process for the retrieval of an AMD, the official said that in case a person was not in a position to express his wish for no further treatment in terminal conditions, the doctor treating him could retrieve it. "Although there is still inadequate awareness about this among citizens, we expected it to improve in the coming days," the official said....