“Aids and autopsy” – An abstriction of medico-legal, socio-legal and ethico-legal implications

HIV/AIDS pandemic has created great panic among all of us, especially during the last decade. Millions of lives have been lost, resulting into great socio-economic imbalance. There is also a great apprehension about the disease in all types of HCWs. Conduction of autopsy, which is a mandatory legal requirement in all types of medico-legal deaths, has greater chances of spreading the infection during the procedure. Unhygienic conditions of mortuaries all over the country, have further added to the existing fear about the disease. Infringement upon basic human rights of an individual in many cases, have raised a plethora of medico-socio-ethico-legal issues, as various tricky situations and questions have arisen time and again. The article highlights various steps of taking Universal Work Precautions while handling such a deceased; as well as, suggests measures to improve the working condition of morgue. An emphasis has been laid to maintain effective Waste-disposal-system in hospital set up, which will further aid, in controlling the spread of this dreaded disease. A few interesting cases and controversial judgements given by various Courts from our country as well as abroad; have been cited with discussion of their implications. All the aspects of the disease including medico-legal and Human Rights have been discussed in detail. The author sincerely hopes that this paper will enable various Health Administrators, medico-legists and other scientific and legal luminaries to have a deep insight into different aspects of the disease; who in turn will make an earnest effort to have a better working place at their disposal, where interest of both (patient as well as HCW) will be taken care off.