BHOPAL: A post-mortem examination was allegedly conducted on a stretcher outside the mortuary of Hamidia Hospital in Bhopal, triggering concern after a video of the incident surfaced on social media.
According to media reports, the body of an unidentified man was brought to the hospital from the Bajaria police station area for autopsy. However, instead of being shifted inside the mortuary, the body was reportedly placed on a stretcher near the entrance passage of the facility.
The video purportedly shows doctors carrying out the post-mortem procedure in the open, while patients, attendants and visitors continued to move through the adjoining route. Witnesses claimed that a chisel and hammer were used to open the skull during the examination.
People present near the mortuary were reportedly seen watching the procedure before moving away after a foul smell spread in the area.
Standard forensic protocols state that post-mortem examinations should be conducted only inside authorised mortuary facilities equipped with proper ventilation, lighting and restricted public access. Guidelines also recommend separate arrangements for decomposed and high-risk bodies.
Reacting to the incident, the head of the forensic medicine department at Gandhi Medical College said that in certain cases, preliminary cleaning procedures involving bodies are carried out in a covered area outside the mortuary.
He maintained that only cleaning of bodies or removal of maggots is done in the open area, while regular post-mortem examinations are conducted inside the mortuary premises.
However, the viral video allegedly shows doctors conducting the autopsy directly on the stretcher outside the mortuary building, with public movement continuing nearby.
