Forensic Medicine and Toxicology

SERVICE

Besides carrying out routine post mortems, the department runs a clinical toxicology laboratory that detects the chemical compound in body fluids in patients admitted with deliberate or accidental poisoning.

The department routinely attends to summons delivered by courts on behalf of the government and provides expert opinions on several cases. The faculty of this department often visits crime scenes on requests of district authorities (Collector, Superintendent of Police) to help in investigation of crimes. It guides police personnel, medical staff of other institutes and doctors of other departments of MGIMS in dealing with several types of medico-legal cases. 

The department also conducts clinical post-mortems. The faculty extend their help in investigation of custodial deaths, to give justice to women victimized by sexual assault and, and even help in nailing doctors who are negligent in their services to patients. 

EDUCATION

The department is engaged in teaching medical and nursing students. The postgraduate programme of the department has been recognized by the Medical Council of India. The department is also trying to revise the curriculum of Forensic Medicine at undergraduate level.

RESEARCH

The department has published a 258-page report on the quality of forensic medical examination of sexually assaulted victims in India. The report was sent to the Union Ministries of Health and Law. A public interest litigation was filed on the basis of this report. The Mumbai High Court- Nagpur bench order took cognizance of the seriousness of this issue and directed the Central and State governments to prepare guidelines which medical officers must adhere to when assessing victims of sexual assault.