PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to establish a separate cadre of medico-legal officers (MLOs) to be posted at the local hospitals to carry out investigation in criminal cases on scientific lines and ensure dispensation of justice.

The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Mohammad Azam Khan a few days ago where it was agreed to move a summary to the government for approval of a separate cadre of MLOs so as to facilitate conduct of autopsies and other investigations on modern lines, secretary health Abid Majeed told Dawn.

He said that medico-legal functions were critical part of criminal justice system, but in routine junior doctors were assigned this job in districts due to which the chance of miscarriage of justice could not be ruled out.

Health secretary says summary to be sent for CM’s approval soon

“There will be no financial implications as the new cadre would be formed from the existing lot of doctors,” he said, adding that a summary would shortly be sent to the chief minister for approval.

Mr Majeed said that MLOs would be performing only medico-legal cases and they wouldn’t be required to examine patients. “We have been receiving observations about medico-legal reports from the courts,” he said.

Experts familiar with the development said that the public sector hospitals lacked the services of trained MLOs which often caused complications in preparation of reports regarding murder, physical attacks, sexual assaults and age determination, and as a result perpetrators evaded convictions in the courts. The medical officers, who are primarily assigned the task of examining patients, tackle medico-legal cases without any proper training that leads to compilation of faulty reports.

At a later stage, the health department will also set up forensic medicine and toxicology departments at the public sector medical colleges at the divisional level.

According to the plan, the health department will establish separate cadre of divisional, district and tehsil medico-legal officers who would be assisting the local hospitals in carrying out medico-legal work to ensure that reports are compiled with scientific evidence and the aggrieved ones get relief in the courts.

Also, the divisional level medical colleges, including Saidu Medical College Swat, Bacha Khan Medical College Mardan, Bannu Medical College, Kohat Medical College, Ayub Medical College Abbottabad, Nowshera Medical College, Gaju Khan Medical College Swabi and Gomal Medical College in Dera Ismail Khan would be used for assistance and training of the staff in the respective districts.

The Khyber Medical College, Peshawar, which has the forensic medicine and toxicology department since 1990, would act as the centre of excellence to develop and strengthen the new cadre. The college recently got a modern DNA laboratory which can be used for the training of MLOs.

The college also provides postgraduate training in forensic medicine to doctors from all over the country. With the establishment of new cadre, there would be a proper service structure due to which the medics would come for training.

The KMC has already offered to impart free training to doctors after establishment of the separate cadre. Experts said that women suffered the most for want of trained lady medical officers in cases related to sexual assaults. Once the separate cadre is put in place, there would be a proper infrastructure due to which cases wouldn’t get delayed.

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2017