As if the death of a loved one isn’t traumatic enough, grieving family members often end up spending a painfully long time at mortuaries to claim the body and begin funeral rites. The waiting period goes much beyond tolerable limits if the body is taken to the mortuary post ‘working hours’.
In cases the body is taken for post-mortem after 4 p.m., the closing time, the bereaved family members have to wait as long as 17 hours.
The wait becomes even more agonising for those from far-away districts who arrive in Hyderabad without any idea of the accommodation facilities or access to basic facilities such as food and transport.
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Post-mortem examinations (PME) in State-run hospitals are carried out only between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Almost two-and-a-half years ago, a request had been placed before the Telangana government to allow the conduct of PME even during the night, but it has not been acted upon so far.
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Health officials maintained that PMEs can be performed round the clock only if additional faculty is appointed and that not many are keen on joining the forensic medicine department. Post graduates in that specialisation, however, said that they are willing to join government services, especially teaching hospitals.
Forensic Medicine doctors claimed that they regularly get requests from various sections of government officials, including the police, as well as influential members of society, to conduct PME at night so that the waiting time for grieving family members is cut down. “We can help avoid causing further pain to people if this practice is introduced. Additional staff and mortuary technicians also have to be appointed while infrastructure too has to be improved,” a forensic science doctor said.
In response to a Right to Information application filed by Lok Satta Udyama Samstha-Karimnagar president N. Srinivas, the head of Osmania General Hospital’s forensic medicine department, M Taqiuddin Khan stated in 2016: “As of now there is no special directive from government to conduct post-mortems during nights for RTA (Road Traffic Accident) death”.
It was added that they are obliged to perform medico-legal work at any time provided the investigating authorities carry due authorisation documents with them.
Mr Srinivas requested Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao in May 2017 to direct officials concerned to conduct PME round the clock. “But I did not get any response to the letter. Post mortems are performed round the clock in States like Gujarat, Goa and Karnataka. A lot of people will be relieved if it is practised in our State too,” he said.
A Health official, however, explained, “Acute shortage in the department is the main constraint. Very few people joined during recruitment.”
Head of forensic medicine department at Gandhi Hospital, T. Krupal Singh said that just like in neighbouring States, an allowance should be given if one performs PMEs at night.