Authors : Mohd Zamre Mohd Zahir, Tengku Noor Azira Tengku Zainudin, Ramalinggam Rajamanickam, Husyairi Harunarashid and Muhammad Hatta
Abstract: Study on the rights of patients more often than not focuses on the rights as expressed in the Patient’s Charter of Malaysian Medical Association (MMA). Each individual has the right to choose what he needs or does not have any desire to be done to his body. In this situation, the component of consent is an essential variable that must exists before a doctor is permitted to treat his patient. Advance Medical Directive (AMD) is a particular archive containing able patient’s desires about his future medical arrangements in the event that he became incompetent or incapacitated to make decision regarding his body. Awareness of patient’s autonomy, especially in connection on his right to decline or withdraw treatment or choosing a specific treatment is the primary explanation behind creating and legalizing AMD. For instance, in England there is a particular law relating to advance directive. This can be found under Sections 24, 25 and 26 of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. In Malaysia, the practice of AMD is still moderately new and because of that the lawful position relating to the AMD is still unclear. This study aims to determine whether in Malaysia an adult patient can make his AMD in view of legal basis relating to it. The method utilized as a part of this study is qualitative. Thus, this study will give an overview with respect to the rights of patients in Malaysia relating to AMD.
Mohd Zamre Mohd Zahir, Tengku Noor Azira Tengku Zainudin, Ramalinggam Rajamanickam, Husyairi Harunarashid and Muhammad Hatta, 2017. Patient’s Consent to Medical Treatment: An Overview of The Rights of Patients with regard to Advance Medical Directive (AMD) in Malaysia. The Social Sciences, 12: 1956-1962.