“What can our 10-day education teach us, or can we be well-educated in such a sensitive matter like autopsy within 10 days? When the students of other medical college get one to two years to study autopsy part of forensic medicine, we get only 10 days. Is it possible to get enough knowledge within this few days or is it possible to teach?” These are the questions of a female student of a private medical college in the capital.
Requesting not to reveal her name and educational institution, she said, “I would never get myself admitted into medical college if I had any idea that I will have to come to some other hospital to learn autopsy. We have to learn autopsy in such a room where there is no place for sitting. In the autopsy room, there is a scorching heat. Is it possible to learn such sophisticated matter in this way?” From beside another female student added, “Several medical colleges have classes here in the same day. As a result, students are to wait for hours to attend classes.”
Talking to the concerned people in this sector it is learned that there are 31 government medical colleges in Bangladesh. Of these, autopsies are done only in 13 colleges. As a result, students of other colleges come to these 13 colleges and study autopsy for 10 days.
Meanwhile, Students said due to various difficulties including lack of necessary teachers, the study of postmortem (autopsy) of forensic medicine is being interrupted.
It is known that in Dhaka autopsy is done only at Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital. Recently, though Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital got permission to establish a morgue, the work of establishment has not started yet.
Concerned people said that if there are five teachers in the forensic medicine department in each medical college(A professor, an associate professor, an assistant professor and two lecturers), then the number of required teachers stands at 155. But the real picture is that there are only 31 people who have degrees in forensic medicine across the country. There is a huge crisis of teachers in forensic medicine sector. There are many medical colleges where there is no doctor with a higher degree, not even experienced doctors. While 'Health Policy 2011' mentioned the need for non-clinical teachers among the government hospitals and their non-practicing allowance, there has been no progress on the matter yet.
Head of Forensic Department Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College, Professor Dr. AM Salim Reza told the Bangla Tribune, “After 12 years we have got the morgue, but still the work has not started yet. Even though late, due to the establishment of modern equipment in the morgue, the students will be able to learn this subject at their own campus.”
Head of Forensic Department of Dhaka Medical College and Secretary General of the Medico-legal Society of Bangladesh Dr. Shohel Mahmood told the Bangla Tribune, “Autopsy is done in only 13 out of 31 medical colleges in the country. Students come to the two colleges inside Dhaka to get a 10-day education on this subject.”
Mentioning that this 10-day education is not sufficient he said, “Students are given an overall idea on this subject. But it will inappropriate if it is said that they get the proper lessons. They get some practical knowledge on this subject. But for post-graduation, they must come to Dhaka medical college.”
He further said, “My request to the government- they should arrange some Incentives to make the doctors interested in the study of forensic medicine. Forensic medicine is a very risky sector. Doctors have to give a witness in court. They need to go to different places of the country for different cases. It is not possible for them to practice privately. It is not possible to bring financial prosperity by practicing privately along with government jobs.”
He further said, “Another important point is that since the verdict of many cases given on the basis of autopsy and the autopsy report is used as an important document in the case when a report goes against, the accused parties many times think the doctors as their opponents. Due to this, doctors of the autopsy are always in danger. For these reasons, the government should make arrangements for incentives for the doctors of this sector and ensure safety. By this, many doctors will be interested to come to this sector and then this sector will be developed."
Shohel Mahmood further said that If the government does something for this department, only then all the medical colleges will have rich forensic medicine department.
Dr. Nahiduzzaman Rimon, Emergency Medical Officer of Kurmitola General Hospital told the Bangla Tribune in this regard, “"If the number of students in forensic medicine decreases in this way, after the retirement of senior doctors, In future, this sector will face a void. After some years, it will be difficult to find any doctor in this sector. Therefore, necessary steps should be taken to motivate the students in forensic medicine.”
