Centre allows post-mortem to be performed after sunset in hospitals with suitable infrastructure
The release added that the changes were introduced after a technical committee in the Directorate General of Health Services, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, examined the representations.
FollowThe Union Health Ministry on Monday allowed conducting post-mortem after sunset in hospitals with proper infrastructure, except for cases of homicide, suicide, rape, decomposed bodies and suspected foul. The new rules will be effective from November 15, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare added.
Explaining why the decision was taken, the Union ministry said in a release, “(The post-mortem protocols were changed) in response to the multiple references that have been received by the Union Health Ministry from various sources and in line with the Government’s commitment to promoting ease of living by reducing the burden imposed due to compliance to government processes.”
The ministry further said, “Apart from friends and relatives of the deceased, this new procedure also promotes organ donation and transplant as organs can be harvested in the stipulated time window after the procedure.”
The release added that the changes were introduced after a technical committee in the Directorate General of Health Services, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, examined the representations.
Referring to the development, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in a tweet in Hindi said, “An end to the system put in place by the British! Post-mortem can be conducted round-the-clock. In furtherance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s idea of good governance, the health ministry has decided that post-mortem can be conducted even after sunset in hospitals which have the facility to carry out the procedure at night.”
The Health Ministry further said the fitness and adequacy of infrastructure, among others, shall be assessed by the hospital-in-charge to ensure that there is no dilution of evidentiary value.
However, cases under categories such as homicide, suicide, rape, decomposed bodies and suspected foul play should not be subjected for post-mortem during night time unless there is a law and order situation, the ministry added.
