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Doctors Told To Report Suspicious Medical Cases To Authorities
Tuesday 04 April 2017, 08:00am
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Dr Jerip (seated centre) together with Dr Kamaruddin (seated second right) and Wan Hashim (seated second left) in a group photo with participants of the conference.

 

KOTA SAMARAHAN: It is the duty of medical practitioners to recognise certain clinical forensic cases that have medicolegal consequences and alert the relevant authorities.

Assistant Minister of Public Health Datuk Dr Jerip Susil said every medical practitioner at any time during their practice, be it in the government or private setting, would have encountered such cases.

According to him, cases that can be considered as medicolegal cases include all cases of injuries and burns, for which the circumstances suggest commission of an offence by a person; all vehicular, factory or other unnatural accident cases especially when there is a grievous hurt or fatal injury; cases of suspected or evident sexual assault; cases of suspected or evident criminal abortion; cases of unconsciousness where its cause is not natural or not clear; all cases of suspected or evident poisoning or intoxication;

cases referred from court or otherwise for age estimation; cases brought dead with improper history creating suspicion of an offence; or cases of suspected self-infliction of injuries or attempted suicide.

“Any other cases which I’ve not mentioned, but has legal implications can also be considered as medicolegal cases,” he said when officiating at the inaugural Malaysia-Borneo Medicolegal & Forensic Aspect of Clinical Practice Conference at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) here yesterday.

Dr Jerip acknowledged that many practitioners were usually apprehensive in dealing with these cases.

“To them, such cases imply rough-speaking police officials, inordinate hours in court, unrelenting defence counsels, and so on.

“Because of this fear factor, they either try to avoid being involved in such cases, or try to get done with them as soon as possible, without being thorough.

“Either way, because they lack the understanding of the legal implications, they may make mistakes which may get them into trouble.”

He pointed out that as medical practitioners, these kind of forensic cases must be dealt with according to the appropriate clinical practice guidelines.

“Even if such manuals are not available, these cases shall not pose any problem if one uses proper caution and due care while dealing with them.

“Proper documentations, timely information, a methodical and thorough examination, including all relevant investigations and referrals are necessary to ensure that the provision of our expertise will assist the successful closure of such cases,” he advised.

Organised by the Forensic Medicine Department in collaboration with the Socio-Academic Forensic Club, Sarawak General Hospital and Unimas Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, the three-day conference aims to provide guidance and information on the management of medicolegal cases.

Also present were State Health Department (Medical) deputy director Dr Kamaruddin Lajim and Unimas (Academic & International) deputy vice-chancellor Prof Dr Wan Hashim Wan Ibrahim.

source : The Borneo Post

 
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