Comments by Prof. Rema Jagadish

This is to express my apprehension in sidelining Forensic Medicine, in the proposed new curriculum.
Even with the present elaborate coverage of the subject of the present day curriculum, the doctors find it very difficult to face the court appearances which is quite unavoidable for a basic government doctor.

It is true that the first and foremost duty of a doctor is medical- ie to save  life. But he has got an equally important role to safeguard administration of justice. So the medical and legal duties form the two sides of a coin. If that is so, how can a subject dealing purely with the legal aspects of the various branches of Medicine be sidelined ,that too without an evaluation process at the end of the course.

In the recent ammendments, it is seen that the examination of victims of grave offences like rape should be done by the nearest registered medical practitioners. So without imparting enough exposure to the legal aspects of the various offences, how can a doctor be expected to deal with such situations? The gynaecologist/surgeon is bothered about  the  cure/treatment aspect in emergency and elective situations.

90% of medicolegal cases are dealt with by doctors in peripheral hospitals and not in Medical colleges.So an effective training in this speciality forms an integral part of the medical curriculum.The induction given in the UG period inspires some of the students who opt this speciality for postgraduation.If that chance is not given, gradually this speciality may become extinct.

As a part of improving the quality of training for law enforcement agency and judiciary, various programmes for special training in this speciality including lectures and demonstrations of autopsy are in vogue knowing the importance of this subject.  If that is so, think of our plight where we try to delete this subject from our curriculum.

I am working as Professor of Forensic Medicine ,Medical college, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.