PESHAWAR, In view of suicide and bomb attacks, the provincial government has decided to strengthen and upgrade the department of forensic medicine and toxicology at the Khyber Medical College (KMC) through public-private partnership, sources said.

A letter from the NWFP Home Department, sent to the health department earlier this year, states that delay in the medico legal reports specially autopsies reports was beyond the capacity of the limited staff. Autopsies are conducted only at the forensic medicine department of the KMC and the number of autopsies was about 1,000 per year.

“The KMC has also the duty of teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students besides carrying out the task of exhumation of bodies and visiting courts in connection with cases,” the letter said and suggested that entering into public-private partnership with recognised medical and dental colleges could ease the workload.

Following the letter, the health department constituted a committee to look into the possibility of entering into public-private partnership with the private medical institutes to strengthen the KMC forensic medicines department and pave the way for quick disposals of autopsies. The committee recommended that as a first priority the provincial government’s facility of postmortem and medico legal reporting at the KMC should be strengthened and upgraded.

The provincial government would facilitate the proposed strengthening of medico legal facilities including mortuary at the KMC on the basis of public-private partnership. The establishment of an independent facility for postmortem and medico legal reporting in Peshawar could also be considered, sources added.

The KMC principal was asked to expedite working on the proposed strengthening of the forensic medicine department to meet the desired objectives. Subsequently, the head of the forensic department was instructed to finalise the financial and administrative arrangements with the interested private medical colleges to start work at earliest.

Subsequently, a memoran dum of understanding was signed according to which the Peshawar Medical College and Kabir Medical College would enhance facilities for autopsies and clinical forensic examinations by upgrading the building and equipments at the forensic department of the KMC.The financial cost of upgradation would be shared equally by both private medical colleges.

Both colleges would share expertise with the KMC and certain areas in the form of lectures, demonstrations while some areas might be covered by the forensic medi cine department at agreed remunerations. Both colleges would be required to pay Rs15,000-20,000 per students, besides buying one electricity generator, two emergency lights, two mortuary tables and two x-ray units (one fixed and one mobile) for the department.

The students of both colleges would be allowed for two days of practical training to the KMC. Additionally the private institutions would also share knowledge and facilities regarding toxicological information and their students would be allowed to attend autopsies and medico legal clinics for acquiring practical knowledge.

As the country’s medico legal system recognises only the authorised medical officer for medico legal examinations, the health department would provide medical officers and other human resources as required for autopsies and certification according to the load of the medico legal work at the KMC.

The health department would bear the cost of the procedures as the autopsies of the dead persons are requirements of the state.