Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Polity & Governance
Why in News?
Recently, India introduced its first national minimum standards for mortuary and post-mortem infrastructure.
National Standards for Mortuary & Post‑Mortem Facilities
- Finalised by – National Council for Clinical Establishments under the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
- Implementation by – States and Union Territories.
- Aim – To bring uniformity in mortuary facilities, which were earlier largely governed by state police manuals and medico-legal rules.
- Frameworks – It applies to public and private hospitals in States/UTs that have adopted the Clinical Establishments Act.
- Basement morgues and locations near hospital waste/refuse areas are prohibited.
- Significance
- Standardisation – It establishes uniform technical standards across mortuary facilities.
- Traceability – Implementation of unique numbering systems minimises the risk of errors in body identification.
- Forensic quality – It enhances the infrastructure supporting medico-legal investigations and autopsy procedures.
- Public dignity – It facilitates safer and more dignified management of deceased individuals.
- Better infrastructure planning – It aligns staffing levels and facility resources with the actual volume of autopsy cases.
Reference
Mint | India’s Minimum Standards for Mortuaries
