The topic of utilizing unclaimed bodies at government hospitals for academic purposes at government and private medical colleges came up for discussion at a review meeting held at Telangana Health Campus here on Tuesday.
Given the absence of rules in the State to give the unclaimed dead bodies to medical colleges, there was discussion on drawing up rules needed for stringent monitoring of the process. Forensic Medicine doctors have been pointing out the need for framing the rules from a long time.
Changes would have to be made to the Telangana Pathology and Anatomy Act-1955 to allow this process. Currently, unclaimed dead bodies at government mortuaries are cremated by municipal corporations, after following due process.
Minister for Health T. Harish Rao, Director General of Police M. Mahender Reddy, Director of Medical Education K. Ramesh Reddy, heads of Forensic Medicine departments from tertiary care hospitals, were present at the review meeting.
As the State government had decided to set up a medical college in each district. There is bound to be an increase in the demand for cadavers which will be used to impart knowledge to aspiring doctors. Minister for Health had spoken on the anticipated spike in demand in the recently concluded Assembly session.
Since Post Mortem Examinations (PME) are performed only at government hospitals, private medical colleges are always in need of dead bodies for academics. “Private college managements get the cadavers from other States which allow it. If the process is allowed in our State too, funds could be generated which can be used for development of the Forensic Medicine departments for improving mortuaries, and also for government hospitals,” a source said.
Another source said that there is a definite need to improve Forensic Medicine department to give respect to people who died.
The doctors have suggested a few more methods to generate funds, such as displaying various organs at a place so that students can study them and also to allow the students to view Post Mortem Examination (PME).
Rules and regulations regarding the process of giving dead bodies to medical colleges are likely be framed in the coming few days, sources said.
