Visakhapatnam: As post-mortem is mandatory in the case of accidents for insurance claims, most of the work-load on forensic experts relates to dead-bodies from road accidents.
Over 8,000 people have been losing their lives in road accidents in AP every year. There are allegations that ward boys in the mortuary have demanded Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 to cut the body and to complete the post-mortem process. Though the authorities are aware of the issue they are unable to initiate action against the ward boys due to staff crisis.
A senior police officer on condition of anonymity said that the ward boys at the mortuaries in connivance with forensic experts, who perform post- mortem on bodies, have been indulging in illegal practices for money from the relatives of the deceased. Sometimes they demand Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 to perform post- mortem on unclaimed bodies, he added.
Cutting open a dead body or decomposed body is a really tough job as it requires courage and mental stability. “We consume two to three pegs liquor to cut open a dead body. For that we demand money,’’ said a ward boy. In most of the cases, the ward boys at the mortuaries were private persons and they would not hesitate to accept money from poor also.
Admitting that some ward boys have demanded money to handover bodies following post-mortem, superintendent of KG Hospital, G. Arjuna said they would take steps to sort out the issue. The shortage of ward boys in mortuary is also one of the problems for delay in conducting post mortem. If the government appoints ward boys in mortuaries under PPP mode, we can also initiate action against the corrupt ward boys, he added.
