National Human Rights Commission issues notice to Madhya Pradesh government for unsanitary autopsies

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday issued notice to Madhya Pradesh government following reports that autopsies were being done in an open room in the middle of a residential colony in the state's Sagar district.

According to an official statement, a notice has been issued to the Principal Secretary (Health), Government of Madhya Pradesh, calling upon him to submit a detailed report within four weeks in this connection.

The notice was issued after the commission took suo motu cognizance of a media report which said that for over three years, the residents of Bhagat Singh Ward in Garhakota Town of Sagar district had been leading a 'hellish life' as autopsies were being done in an open room of a collapsed building of the government hospital. Despite repeated complaints, the hospital authorities had failed to address the issue.

Reportedly, this building, located right in the middle of the residential colony, had collapsed over three years ago and since then seven to ten post-mortems were being done every month at an open dilapidated room. "The residents do not go on the roof top for the fear of seeing the bodies being cut open and internal organs hanging out. The foul smell of rotting flesh hangs in the air. Stray dogs and pigs bring out human body parts," the statement said.

The commission has observed that the contents of the newspaper report, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of right to health.