jpafmat

Journal of Punjab Academy of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology

0972-56870974-083X

Punjab Academy of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology

jpafmat-2003-3-editorial

Editorial

162003

200334145

2003

IndianJournals.com

It is my extreme pleasure to bring to you the third consecutive volume of the journal of PAFMAT in three years of the 21st century.

One should always be thirsty for acquiring knowledge and liberal in distributing it. Even the marginal scientific contributions like small rain-drops will ultimately make an ocean of knowledge. Even such small things sometimes lead to unforeseen and unpredictable discoveries and inventions. One should have curiosity about the new things which are being observed in our daily practice and should try to find out the answers to the puzzling things scientifically.

One should continuously work hard to improve the things around where one is working. Mortuary is one such place in our country which is the most neglected site of the hospital usually at most of the places. Who is to be blamed? We have to do some introspection! The most important thing in my mind comes that probably we have never asked our hospital aurhorities to provide us with trained and educated assistants. At most of the places we rely mostly on the untrained illiterate peons or sweepers. This is the scenario which needs to be changed. At least forensically trained nurses or pharmacists should be employed in the mortuaries and if they are not available, we should train them. In U.S.A. and other advanced countries forensic nurses are helping the forensic pathologists. We should not lag behind and should try to implement the new ideas and make our mortuaries like operation theatre to protect ourselves, our staff and the public from highly communicable diseases like AIDS, hepatitis, tuberculosis, etc.

We should also be able social workers and should try to mitigate the sufferings of the society. Female foeticide is one such aspect where we should work boldly. Being a medico-legal person we should spread the knowledge to fellow doctors and to the public that mere greed of some for money, will ultimately destroy the basic fabric of the society when boys will out number the girls and it will lead to turmoil in the society. This is the time to wake up and to work on this. Legislation is there and now it is our duty to implement it and to get it implemented.

I wish, “we should have a vision” and I believe, “it will be fullfilled one day by the grace of the God”.

Dr. R.K. Gorea