Reply on PIL about attendants, sweepers conducting autopsies: HC To BMC

The Bombay High Court today issued notice to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) over a PIL which alleged that autopsies in several civic-run hospitals were being conducted by morgue attendants and sweepers instead of doctors.

A bench of justices BR Gavai and MS Karnik directed the BMC to file its reply within four weeks.

The plea, filed by Adil Khatri, an advocate in Bombay High Court, claimed that during a visit to BMC-run Sion Hospital in September last year, he found a sweeper and a male morgue attendant conducting post mortem.

Khatri claimed that replies to his queries under the Right to Information Act further revealed that often, owing to shortage of trained staff, doctors at civic hospitals were assisted by "morgue attendants, sweepers and assistant doctors" for conducting post-mortem.

Khatri told the court that male morgue attendants and sweepers also conducted post-mortem on women.

He urged the court to direct the BMC to ensure that only doctors and trained staff were permitted to conduct autopsies.

The plea also sought that the court direct the BMC to ensure that a standard procedure was followed by all civic hospitals in the city while conducting autopsies.

The plea urged that it be made mandatory to ensure that women doctors or attendants were present during the post-mortem of women.