Inquiry ordered into postmortem by mortuary staff

Dharmapuri: A video of two mortuary assistants performing postmortem at the Dharmapuri government medical college has been doing the rounds on social media since Thursday evening, raising many eyebrows.
While hospital dean Dr K Srinivasaraj has ordered a detailed internal probe, he plans to approach the cybercrime police to ascertain the authenticity of the video.
“I have deputed the medical superintendent and the resident medical officer to probe the issue,” he told TOI.
The government hospital has four forensic doctors, who work in shifts. “There is a technician and two other assistants to help them. It is the duty of the assistants to take the body to the postmortem table from freezer boxes,” a senior doctor in the hospital said.
He said the assistants would cut the bodies in the presence of doctor and take samples of vital organs for viscera test and other purposes as requested by police. “This is the standard procedure in all the mortuaries across the state.”
However, in the video that has gone viral the staff members are seen chopping the body and taking samples of vital organs in the absence of forensic doctors.
The hospital dean said he was yet to ascertain when the video was shot. “I want to know the date and time so that the probe team could inquire with the shift doctor to know what has transpired.”
Srinivasaraj said he was planning to approach the cybercrime police to verify the authenticity of the video. “I will write to the cybercrime police, seeking help.”