Forensic Medicine

Introduction:

 

Law and medicine have been interrelated and interdependent since antiquity. There are two facets of this relationship, the legal aspects of medicine and medical aspects of law. It is absolute necessity for the medical person to know the laws relevant to medical profession with reference to his position with state, patients, colleagues and others. Knowledge of law makes a medical man better citizen and better medical practitioner. There are two requirements, basic medical knowledge and skill to apply that knowledge to solve the legal issues and this is acquired during the training of Forensic Medicine. Ever increasing crimes, growing terrorism in the country, awareness of individual rights and complaints about medical negligence have raised the importance of this subject many folds. Three departments, Forensic Medicine, law enforcement agencies and judiciary come to the single point for justice to be achieved.

 

Department:

 

The department of Forensics is state-of-the-art with a well-established museum containing different models, weapons, poisons, preserved biological specimens, skeletons and x-rays to be displayed in self-explanatory manner.  There is a Forensic and Toxicology lab containing all the modern equipment required for any model lab.

 

Aims and objectives:

 

At the end of the Forensics course at WMC, 3rd year MBBS students will be able to:

 

  1. Understand the subject as per syllabus recommended by Pakistan Medical & Dental Council and UHS.
  2. Develop a futuristic attitude towards application of forensic knowledge by getting trained along practical lines by taking help of extra-institutional Forensic institutions where ever possible so that they
  3. Develop a wholesome attitude in their approach to the subject as an integrated medical science by collaborating under-guidance with departments of Pathology, Pharmacology, Surgery and Gynecology.    

Goals of the department: 

  1. Train the intra-departmental staff so that they become experts in the field of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology and can impart undergraduate training at optimum level.
  2. Equip the department and its museum and biological laboratory to a high degree of excellence so that it becomes exemplary.
  3. Extend the expertise of the subject to other agencies and institutions like Law enforcement agencies.
  4. Propagate awareness and importance of the subject amongst masses through lectures/ demonstrations/ seminars at appropriate level.
  5. Aim at developing the department to such a degree that it is acceptable for post-graduate training.
  6. Appreciate the role of other departments/institutions in the furtherance of medical knowledge by helping students and teachers in Allied medical fields like pharmacy, pharmacology, pathology & community medicine etc.

Other activities:

 

The department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, apart from the formal curriculum training of 3rd year MBBS students as per dictates of PM&DC, is also involved in following training / assistance to other Government / extra-government institutions:

 

  1. Advice / assistance to sister government / private institutions and law enforcement agencies.
  2. Training / assistance in medico-legal / postmortem cases to THQ Hospital Taxila Distt. Rawalpindi.