Why Modi Government's autopsy rules will eliminate delays for families, boost organ donation.
Post-mortem procedures can now be carried out at night, especially to enable the faster release of bodies to harvest organs for transplant surgeries, according to a new protocol issued by the Centre on Monday.
In a major shift, the Centre on Monday allowed conducting post-mortem after sunset in hospitals with adequate infrastructure, except cases of homicide, suicide, rape, decomposed bodies and suspected foul play. The change in the rule is aimed at easing the decade-old method in favour of organ donation, and organ harvesting in the country.
Light is important in post-mortem examinations because the colour of a wound, or of internal organs, can hold valuable insights into the cause of death.
The change in protocol in likely to make a lot of difference, not just to the families of the deceased, who often end up in an inordinate wait to get the body — but also to India’s organ donation programme.
Despite a large number of deaths caused by traffic accidents, cadaver donations in India have not picked up because of a variety of reasons. One of these is the daylight autopsy convention. At one point, it was even suggested that organ retrieval be carried out before autopsy to retain the viability of organs.
What's Your Reaction?
