🔥 Trending Maharashtra Introduces Euthanasia and Living Will Regulations in Hospitals

The state of Maharashtra, India, has recently implemented significant rules regarding passive euthanasia and living wills, extending their application to private hospitals and establishing a structured process for end-of-life decisions. These developments aim to operationalize the Supreme Court's directives on advance medical directives and ensure judicial safeguards ¹²⁵.

Extension to Private Hospitals

Previously, the framework for passive euthanasia and living wills primarily focused on government facilities. As of July 17, 2026, Maharashtra has issued a directive that mandates private hospitals to establish primary and secondary medical boards to process cases of passive euthanasia and living wills ¹³⁷. This move ensures that the same judicial safeguards and procedural rigor apply across both public and private healthcare sectors ¹.

Medical Boards and Approval Process

The core of the new rules involves the establishment of dual medical boards:

• Primary Medical Board: This board is responsible for the initial assessment of a patient's condition and their living will. It comprises medical professionals who evaluate whether the conditions for passive euthanasia, as outlined in the patient's advance directive, are met ¹⁵.
• Secondary Medical Board: If the primary board approves the request, the case is then reviewed by a secondary medical board. This additional layer of scrutiny ensures a thorough and unbiased decision-making process before any life-sustaining treatment is withdrawn ¹⁵.

This dual-board approval is mandatory and designed to protect the rights of seriously ill patients and prevent any misuse of the provisions ¹³. The government resolution (GR) from the state public health department outlines the framework for these boards ⁷.

Living Wills (Advance Medical Directives)

A "living will," also known as an advance medical directive (AMD), allows individuals to make end-of-life choices in advance, specifying their wishes regarding medical treatment should they become terminally ill and unable to communicate ⁵⁸. The new rules in Maharashtra facilitate the implementation of these wills, ensuring that a patient's previously expressed wishes are respected ²⁸.

Digitalization of Living Wills

Maharashtra is also pioneering the digitalization of living wills. The state has launched an online platform, accessible through the mahaulb.in website, where urban citizens can permanently register and preserve their living wills ⁹¹⁰. This digital initiative makes Maharashtra the first state in India to maintain digital records of living wills, streamlining the process and ensuring easy access to these critical documents when needed ⁹¹⁰.

Context and Supreme Court Directives

These new rules are a direct response to the Supreme Court's guidelines on end-of-life decisions. The Supreme Court has long emphasized the importance of a dignified death and the right of individuals to make informed choices about their medical treatment, including the withdrawal of life support in terminal conditions ²⁵. Maharashtra's latest directives are a step towards fully operationalizing these judicial pronouncements across the state's healthcare system ².

In summary, Maharashtra's new regulations mark a significant step in standardizing and safeguarding passive euthanasia and living will processes, making them accessible and legally sound across all hospitals, including private facilities, and integrating digital solutions for advance medical directives ¹³⁹.