Forensic medicine expert in department of emergency medicine : The need of hour Mangeshkar A1, Nema P2, Tomar MS3, Nigam M4,* 1Associate Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine, GMC, Datia 2Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine, SAIMS, Indore 3Senior Resident, Department of Forensic Medicine, GMC, Datia 4Professor & Head, Department of Forensic Medicine, ABV GMC, Vidisha *Corresponding Author Dr. Manish Nigam, Email : jurimanish@gmail.com, Mobile No. : +91 98262 13412
Online published on 16 November, 2023. Abstract Emergency medicine is a new branch introduced by NMC in the gazette notification dated 14th February 2022. In India, since we lack specialized postgraduates in emergency medicine, postgraduates in General Medicine, Anaesthesia, Respiratory Medicine, General Surgery and Orthopedics are made eligible to work as faculty in this department. This is a welcome step as the casualties coming to the hospital with natural pathologies will be dealt by specialized docors after introduction of this department in a tertiary care centre. However, the medicolegal cases reaching to the hospital in the form of casualties or otherwise still have to be dealt with less professional and unspecialized hands. Incorrect, incomplete, or inappropriately followed protocols in handling and reporting a Medico-legal case often delay legal proceedings and thus deprive a patient of his rights. The significance of critical cases in emergency medical services cannot be undermined especially in a densely populated country like India, where everyone is living with stress and competing to strive for the basic needs of life. Doctors in the Emergency department have to diagnose and treat a high volume of patients and are also responsible for preparing reports for unnatural cases like accidents, attempted suicides and homicides. Thus, any act of omission or commission in patient care as well as in preparing proper medicolegal reports and documentation by a doctor advances negligence and health risks of critically ill patients which is against the criminal justice system and hence liable for the breach of duty. This warrants the inclusion of Forensic Medicine experts in the Emergency Medicine department. Top Keywords Emergency medicine, Forensic medicine, Toxicology, Medico-legal cases, National medical commission. Top |