THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: All the five major government medical colleges in the state have got forensic departments. However, none of the departments have got a professional forensic photographer/videographer to take highly sensitive pictures and videos of autopsy forcing the forensic doctors themselves to take it amidst their hectic schedule of teaching, examination duties, going to various courts to testify their findings and also daily doing three autopsies and sometimes more.
When Dr Liza John, associate professor in forensic medicine at Alappuzha Medical College who did the post-mortem report on Perumbavur rape victim, she had to take pictures on her mobile phone which brought to limelight the lack of a professional forensic photographer/videographer.
Dr Shirley Vasu, principal of Thrissur Medical College told this newspaper that out of the five old government medical colleges in the state, Alappuzha medical
college has got the best mortuary.
“Almost all the five leading Government Medical Colleges in the State are lagging behind in staff shortage which includes a professional forensic photographer/videographer. Many a time we have to hire an ordinary photographer from outside while doing post-mortem including when we do custodial deaths,” said Dr. Shirley Vasu, senior forensic surgeon.
Another senior forensic specialist told this newspaper that it is the responsibility of the home department to take steps to hire forensic photographer/videographers.
Even though home department has got adequate funds in its kitty, still they have got a feeling that forensic department has to work in primitive environs. Forensic specialists are not happy with the way in which new medical colleges like Ernakulam, Manjeri, Idukki and Palakkad are working where some of them are yet to be handed over charges.
“If forensic features like video colposcopy (a procedure that is sometimes carried out after an abnormal cervical screening test using a special microscope called a colposcope) are initiated, it would make a remarkable difference as photos are documented. It will magnify the area 40 times and sexual assessment cases would come down as the culprit would have a feeling that the murder would be documented in a magnified manner,” said another senior forensic expert.
