COVID-19 outbreak: A testing time for medicolegal facilities in India

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic has stunned the entire world. Management of the continuously rising number of cases and  associated mortalities has come as an unending challenge for  the medical fraternity. The outbreak has tested the more robust  healthcare system such as in the USA, UK and many parts of  Europe, not only with regard to providing basic healthcare  services, but also in effective management of the dead. India  th reported its first case of COVID-19 on 30 January 2020. The  health authorities in India are on high alert since then. The  pandemic has laid bare, the health system deficiencies worldwide. Forensic Medicine/ medicolegal services can be no  exception to that. During the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19  positive as well as suspect dead bodies are being handed over to  district administration and relatives through hospital mortuaries.  Forensic Medicine experts thus, have a dual role to play; the  traditional one of handling the medicolegal cases, as well as  managing the COVID-19 positive and suspect deaths. Effective  management of the dead includes not only the dignified  handling of the dead but also acting in a manner so as to  prevent the possibility of spread of infection to the individuals  handling the dead bodies right from the hospital to the  crematorium / burial ground and community at large. In this  background, there is a need to do a reality check of the existing  forensic medicine/ medicolegal facilities in India, and suggest  measures to combat the SARS-CoV-2 scare among health care  workers.