The Medical Council of India is against corpse cutting

New Delhi: The Medical Council of India (MCI) is considering doing away with dissection of human bodies and animal cadavers, a practice used for medical students in teaching aspects of biology.

While the notification to ban animal dissection is likely to come this month, the medical regulator is all set to suggest “computer-simulated dissection”, 3D models, plastinated  specimen, videos etc as alternative for human dissection in their new competency based curriculum that will soon be sent for final approval to the government.

Even as the experts believe that the dissection of human and animal cadavers (dead bodies) has produced a vast knowledge of anatomy, dissection is not the part of medical curriculum in the developed part of the world. “There is a dire need to change the curriculum for under graduate medical students which was designed back in 1956. The experts working on the new curriculum are of the view that animal as well as human dissection should be banned,” MCI president Dr Jayshree Ben Mehta said.

Human dissection was prohibited in ancient Greek and Roman religions and in many countries in the mid-twentieth century. Earlier, undergraduate biology students at certain universities in the United States could dissect human cadavers donated as anatomical gifts, wile many individuals were designating their organs upon their death for research or organ transplantation.

“The bodies used are donated ones. But five years down the line we may not get enough bodies that can be used for teaching purpose. It is therefore extremely critical to change the methodology,” added Dr Mehta.