16th annual conference of Punjab Academy of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology
KS Diwan/ royalpatiala.in/ Patiala
The Department of Forensic Medicine in Government Medical College Patiala organized one day 16th annual conference of Punjab Academy of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology on the theme Advancing Forensic Medicine & Medico-Legal Services.
The conference was inaugurated by Dr. Avnish Kumar Director Research & Medical Education (DRME) Punjab who during the programme said that to keep pace with advancing techniques in medical and health field, such medical education programmes have become mandatory for the doctors and for that state government is also taking necessary steps for the doctors working in the field as well as medical colleges.
Welcoming the conference delegates Organizing Chairman and Head of the Department of Forensic Medicine Dr KK Aggarwal said the daylong deliberations and discussions by experts of the region will go a long way in improving the standards of the specialty and services in the region.
In his inaugural address, President of PAFMAT Dr DS Bhullar said that the status of forensic medicine and medicolegal services in the state of Punjab till date has not touched the desired levels. The specialty of forensic medicine is being ignored at all levels. More than 80 percent work in the state is being looked after by doctors who are neither expert nor properly trained in medicolegal examination of living as well as dead, thus resulting in poor quality of work as evident in courts of law and ultimately damage to the justice delivery system. Not many doctors are opting for the specialty of forensic medicine for one or the other reason and those who opted for the subject have not been properly adjusted. The successive Governments have failed to retain the forensic experts in the state. The Government should create more job opportunities for forensic medicine experts including creation of specialist posts of forensic medicine at the district level and posting of PCMS Cadre Forensic Medicine Specialists in the newly proposed State Chemical Labs. Like other states, the doctors dealing with postmortem should be given Risk Allowance. The medical officers dealing with medicolegal cases should be given proper practical training before they are put on job.
Dr Garish Sahni OSD to Chief Minister Punjab, College Principal Dr BS Sidhu and Member Punjab Medical Council also expressed their views with stress on better doctor patient relationship in today’s life in the interest of patients as well as the medical professionals.
The scientific journal of the academy was also released during the programme. Dr OP Aggarwal and Dr RK Gorea were honoured with Life Time Achievement Award while Dr D. Harish and Dr Amandeep Singh bagged PAFMAT Fellowship and Young Forensic Medicine of the Year awards. More than 150 delegates attended the day long deliberations.
