Patna: The state has witnessed registering of over 2,000 medico-legal cases (MLC) in a month.
As per the data compiled by the state govt, the maximum number of such cases were registered in Gaya (204), while Sheikhpura, Jehanabad, and Arwal were at the bottom of the chart with just one case each lodged in a month.
Medico-legal cases include cases of injury or any problem where a medical expert, during investigation, feels the involvement of a law enforcement agency. Even sexual assault cases, poisoning, injury or death due to accident, criminal abortion, suicide, or being brought dead to the hospital come under the MLC.
The data showed that a total of 2,054 MLCs were registered in August this year—Bhagalpur (143), Araria (139), Gopalganj (135), Madhubani (126), and Muzaffarpur (114). The majority of districts reported MLCs in two digits, including the state capital with 50 MLCs, in one month. There were nine districts with MLCs in single digits.
Gaya district magistrate Thiyagrajan SM said they hold regular coordination meetings between policemen and doctors to get the MLCs reported and take proper legal steps required. "The coordination meeting has helped in the increase of reporting of the MLCs, as they hold legal value. It is important that coordination meetings are held between the police and the medical experts," he said.
Doctors, too, stressed the need to have proper digitisation of the MLCs, maintenance of their records, and informing the police.
Former national IMA president Dr Ajay Kumar, who at present is the state action committee member of the IMA, said the maintenance of statistics was poor in the govt sector and added the number of MLCs reported was less than the actual number of such cases.
Former superintendent of Patna Medical College and Hospital, Dr Rajiv Ranjan Prasad, said any unnatural death comes under the MLC. "Injury due to accident, due to clash in land dispute, or physical injury due to criminal activities. In fact, suicide and accidental death, all come under the MLC," said Dr Prasad, pointing towards the lacunae in reporting of such cases.
"It has happened that criminals, instead of going to doctors after getting injured, go to quacks to get the bullet removed. In fact, there are doctors who do not inform the cops of such MLCs, and this is a wrong practice," added Dr Prasad, stressing the need to have proper reporting of such cases.