Thiruvananthapuram: In a major development, the Kerala Government has decided to allow students of private medical colleges to study autopsy in government medical colleges.
The directive in this regard was issued by Health Minister Veena George recently. The guidelines for imparting lessons on autopsy to private college students will be prepared by the Director of Medical Education (DME).
Currently, MBBS students in private medical colleges in Kerala study autopsy in medical colleges outside the state. In many such institutions in other states, autopsy is conducted by staff who are not doctors and the latter only gets to observe the procedure.
Several students who learn autopsy in such colleges later earn their degree, clear the state Public Service Commission (PSC) test and join government hospitals, where their lack of knowledge would often create problems.
It is against this backdrop that the minister issued the latest directive. Around 2,500 MBBS students are enrolled for each batch in the state's private medical colleges. Under the MBBS curriculum, they have to study 15 autopsies.
Earlier, the state government had allowed students to learn autopsy at 138 taluk, district and general hospitals under the Directorate of Health Services (DHS). However, this move did not prove effective as there were only 18 doctors in the forensic cadre of these government hospitals.
Meanwhile, Anil Kumar Vellil, president of Kerala Private Medical College Management Association, said the rules regarding forensic education were changed in Kerala. “Private medical colleges have to be allowed to conduct autopsy. A ban in this regard exists only in Kerala. It is ironic that while doctors can treat patients at private medical colleges, they are not allowed to conduct autopsies,” he said.