Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology at Vydehi is fully tuned to the study, application and subsequently judicious use of all the areas of medical and human body knowledge primarily aimed at assisting the law. Generally this requires a dedicated team of skilled personnel in carrying out routine services of autopsy, clinical cases examinations followed by proper reporting and dealing with any other medicolegal matter where opinion is sought by the investigating agency which is the Police Force in India.
Side by side with this there are educational programmes at undergraduate and post graduate levels, wherein a detail curricular teaching consisting of both theoretical and practical aspects are routinely done. Forensic Medicine, Forensic Pathology, Medical & Health Ethics, introduction to Legal aspects of medical care, Toxicology are major areas of teaching for MBBS in this department.. MD in Forensic Medicine and Toxicology course at the post-graduate level is also undertaken. All courses presently available and likely to be developed in future are/would be – as per National Medical Council and Medical Council of India directives and affiliated to Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences.
Housed in the medical college building of Vydehi Medical Institute all physical requirements consisting of office room, record keeping facility, offices for personnel, library, museum, research laboratory and mortuary are all available. Classrooms and lecture theatres with audio-visual facility are shared.
The department has adequate, modern equipment and teaching/learning aids available for autopsy work, embalming & storage of dead bodies, teaching/learning activities as well as for research work.
The Mortuary consists of a 1000 Sq. meter area which has:
The Research Laboratory consists of all general instruments for preservation, processing of tissues. It also has an Autoclave, hot air oven, water bath, and microscopes.
The Department has a collection of more than 600 plus bones, X ray plates, osteometric boards & other tools for MBBS /PG teaching.
There has been a slow and steady increase in the autopsies conducted. The number of autopsies conducted in the year 2011 is 193, in 2012 is 233, in 2013 is 251, in 2014 is 291, in 2015 is 274, in 2016 is 264, in 2017 is 333, in 2018 is 443, in 2019 is 485, in 2020 is 487, in 2021 is 401, in 2022 is 372, in 2023 is 384, in 2024 is 178 till date (may end).
A special area is assigned to the Clinical Forensic Medicine in the Department. Approximately 20-40 cases are handled yearly. Clinical Forensic medical cases conducted in the year 2016 are 19, in 2017 are 19. In the year 2018- 22 cases, in the year 2019-40 cases, in the year 2020-22 cases, in the year 2021- 20 cases, in the year 2022- 34 cases, in the year 2023-36cases, in the year 2024-14 cases till date (may end).
The department also conducts Clinical Forensic work like. Age estimation, examination of Sexual assault cases, DNA sample collection as required by the police / Court is examined. Advice is given to EMD staff and CMOs as and when required in medicolegal cases of RTA, Assault, Poisoning, Fall, Work Place injury, Burns, Electrocution, Rape / Sexual assault, Hanging, Kidnap, Drunkenness, Others
The Institution regularly organizes seminars, debates, guest lectures and visits to the crime scenes.
In 2019 a mock court room was started. It has all the necessary facilities for practicing a court room session. The walls also have informative charts regarding the same
There is a department library housed in the first floor. Museum in practical hall is also there in addition to the centralized museum,
Osteometric board, view box, callipers, microscopes are there for practical exercises
Live streamed Video demonstration of autopsy is there which is possible to be viewed from the practical hall.
The mortuary also handles storage of Non MLC dead bodies including embalming services. Cold storage facility is extended even to outside hospital deaths subject to availability of cold storage units. During Covid Pandemic department handled / coordinated all the Covid deaths for cold storage, relatives viewing, cremation / burial through BBMP and revenue authorities both within the State and outside the State.
The museum at the Forensic Department houses the following
The Forensic Medicine Museum consists of more than 500 photographs , charts , more than 200 wet specimens , bones/skeletons , clay models & various toxicology specimens as well as firearm specimens and weapons . These are all arranged in jars, glass cases & cupboards.
25 sets of catalogues available for students and faculty to refer
SPECIMENS | No. |
Infanticide | 18 |
Brain | 16 |
Heart with Aorta | 04 |
Liver | 20 |
Spleen | 05 |
Face Part | 01 |
Sternum | 04 |
Neck Structures | 05 |
Degloving Hand | 02 |
Mummified Foetus | 10 |
Heart | 14 |
Lungs | 15 |
Kidney | 08 |
Uterus | 06 |
Stomach | 04 |
Trachea with soot | 01 |
Umbilical cord | 01 |
Skin with tattoo | 03 |
BONES | Non-Human – one complete set of Monkey Skeleton, Two complete sets Human of human skeleton |
Whole Skull | 11 |
Mandible | 14 |
Sternum | 07 |
Humerus | 24 |
Ulna | 15 |
Sacrum | 14 |
Tibia | 18 |
Patella | 13 |
Skull Vault | 14 |
Clavicle | 20 |
Scapula | 16 |
Radius | 15 |
Hip Bone | 24 |
Femur | 32 |
Fibula | 16 |
Vertebra | 118 |
Ribs/ Tarsals / Carpals/ Metacarpal / Metatarsal / Phalanges | 300 |
WEAPONS |
|
Rifle | 1 |
Pellets | 8 |
Sharp Cutting light weapons | 12 |
Pistol | 2 |
Blunt weapons | 7 |
Cartridges | 7 |
Ligature Material | 7 |
Sharp cutting heavy weapons | 6 |
POISONS |
|
Vegetable poisons | 22 |
Metals | 10 |
Alcohols | 14 |
Animal | 19 |
Agricultural | 04 |
(Snake – 11, Scorpion – 6, Bee – 1, Bat – 1) | 19 |
CHARTS/DIAGRAMS |
|
Charts | 105 |
Diagram | 10 |
MODELS |
|
Miscellaneous | 5 |
PHOTOGRAPHS |
|
Autopsy Procedures | 27 |
Starvation Deaths | 03 |
Identification | 99 |
Ethics / Negligence | 05 |
Road Traffic Injuries | 33 |
Thermal Injuries | 38 |
Drowning | 06 |
Weapons | 41 |
Full case profile mounted on felt boards | 21 |
Infanticide | 21 |
Artefacts | 07 |
Asphyxial Deaths | 44 |
Toxicology | 106 |
Homicidal Injuries | 27 |
Mechanical Injuries | 108 |
PM Changes | 75 |
Snakes | 09 |
X-RAY PLATES |
|
Skull with jaw | 31 |
Elbow Joint | 22 |
Hip Joint | 09 |
Ankle Joint with foot | 10 |
Sternum | 02 |
Shoulder Joint | 08 |
Wrist | 20 |
Knee | 12 |
Clavicle | 07 |
Miscellaneous | 23 |
| Sl No | Name and authorship | Title | National/ state | Indexing | Citation | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dr Jagadeesh N (Fifth author) | Do we need an overhaul of the Anatomy Acts in India? | State | Index Copernicus Open J Gate Research bib | JKAMLS 2023;32(1):44-48 | 2023 |
| 2 | Dr Karen Harshitha ( 2nd and Corresponding ) | Pattern of mortality among adolescent suicides in Victoria Hospital Mortuary | National | Google Scholar CINAHL EBSCO host( USA) Embase | Indian Journal of Forensic Medical and Toxicology • Vol. 17 No. 1 (2023) Page no.61-65 | 2023 |
| 3 | Jagadeesh N (Second author) | Competency based or competency driven medical education in forensic medicine: crossroads and way forwards | National | EMBASE SCOPUS Google Scholar CNKI Scholar EBSCO Discovery Indian Citation Index | Journal of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology. Jan- June 2022.39(1) 1-4 Issn: 09711929 | 2022 |
| 4 | Dr Karen Harshitha ( 1st and Corresponding) | Social psychological profile of pattern of female burn causalities | International | DOAJ SCOPUS Google Scholar Naver Emerging Sources Citation index | Egyptian Journal of Forensic Science • Article number: 61 (2022) | 2022 |
| 5 | Padmini Hannah Noone (First author) | Factors affecting natural illness during the Covid-19 pandemic- autopsy findings in a series of cases | National | EMBASE(Scopus) Indian Scholar EBSCO CINAHL Google Scholar Indian Citation Index Copernicus | Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology Vol (15) April 2021 Issn: 0973-9130 | 2021 |
The department teaches students of the following disciplines:
MBBS
MD Forensic Medicine
Electives in MBBS internship
Electives for Forensic Students
Safety skills for school students
Modified time table and curriculum is being followed as per the New CBME guidelines. AETCOM sessions of second year and whenever required in other years are also there. Electives in the department is being planned for interested students.
VIDA – Ultra Modern Museum using a blend of E-Platform & Regular specimens, Weapons, Charts & Photographs along with other exhibits. There are both E-Catalogues as well as hard copies for ready reference.
The museum contains HD displays, audio visual exhibits & computerized software driven facility for students and other visitors.
Wet Specimens 331; Dry specimens 150; Wax Models 5; Poisons 140; Charts 105; Photographs 662; Models 5; Slides 20; Weapons; 50 Portraits 5; Case history photographs 6; X-rays 144 & Bones 671.
Located at basement with external entry and internal entry consisting of 1000 sq. meters of well lighted ventilated and having properly equipped instruments is used for storing dead bodies, carrying out regular autopsy work with student demonstration as needed. At any given time, adequate cold storage for dead bodies, four operating tables and adequate waiting area for police and relatives are there. Side labs for screening for alcohol and pesticides are provided. We carry out embalming and storage of dead bodies also. Total autopsies in year 2011 is 193, in 2012 is 233, in 2013 is 251, in 2014 is 291, in 2015 is 274, in 2016 is 264, in 2017 is 333, in 2018 is 443, in 2019 is 485, in 2020 is 487, in 2021 is 401, in 2022 is 372, in 2023 is 384 in 2024 is 178 till date (may end).
First rank MD Forensic Medicine-Dr Fairoz Khan 2011
Second rank MD Forensic Medicine -Dr Shobhana SS 2013
First rank MD Forensic Medicine-Dr Madhusudhan Reddy 2017
DNB Forensic Medicine Gold medal Dr Karen Harshitha 2023
3ranks in Forensic Medicine UG exam results announced by RGUHS in the year 2024
-Karthika S Gowda 4th rank
Keerthi Raj V 8th rank
Hazel Ivana D’Souza 10th rank
Achievements
100% result in 3rd yr university examination in the year 2024
Dr Jagadeesh N- Achievements
MBA in Healthcare management in 2021
Associate Editor, Indian Journal of Legal Medicine 2024
Dr Fairoz Khan- Achievements
Former executive committee member SIMLA 2017
Dr Karen Harshitha – Achievements
PGDHRL from NLS obtained in 2024
Participation in world patient safety week conducted during the period 17 Sep to 25 September 2023 for the 3rd year students.
One of the posters made by students
Winners of the poster and slogan contest
CME on Engendering medical education and clinical practice conducted by the Dept of Forensic Medicine, VIMS and RC along with CEHAT Mumbai, April 18,19 2024
Accredited by National Accreditation Board for Hospitals (NABH)
