Only one doc in every civil hospital to carry out autopsy
SHILLONG: There is only one doctor to carry out post-mortem in the entire East Khasi Hlls for the last two years.
The case of Jaintia Hills is also not different. The single doctor who conducts post-mortem for both the districts (West Jaintia and East Jaintia) has to look after malaria programmes.
However, the health department is apparently not bothered to improve the post-mortem section in various districts in the state.
When contacted to know the total number of doctors engaged in carrying out post-mortem in the whole state on Friday last, the Director of Health Services ( MI) Dr A Dkhar rudely replied, “I don’t know. I am in a meeting, you can ask the CM”.
In Shillong Civil Hospital, most of the post-mortem cases who were once entrusted with other menial jobs.
One such helper said on Friday that he along with the doctor carries out the post-mortem in the Shillong civil hospital.
He, however, is relieved as for the last two weeks, there was no case.
There were three doctors to carry out post-mortem in the past, but two doctors had left the Civil Hospital after getting other assignments.
For carrying out post-mortem especially to cut open the body, old instruments are being used in the hospital.
Moreover , the civil hospital avoids conducting postmortem on Sundays.
“We carry out post-mortem on Sunday only when there is an emergency,” a staff of civil hospital said.
Agony for the relatives
The delay in availing post-mortem reports causes undue delay in the investigation process on the part of the police.
More agonized are the relatives of the victims as they are very often in dark since there is no mechanism to know the content of the postmortem report which ascertains the cause of death.
The procedure to obtain the post-mortem report for the relatives is long as first the post mortem report goes to the Directorate of Medical and Health Sciences. Subsequently, a copy is sent to the respective police stations. Later, the same reports go to the Court.