Barmer’s chief medical and health officer said the doctors performed the post-mortem in the open on humanitarian grounds after requests from the police and family members. (Mukesh Mathrani/HT Photo)

Doctors at a community health centre in Rajasthan’s Barmer district conducted the autopsy of two accident victims on the road outside, drawing protests from local residents. Health officials however justified the action as done on “humanitarian grounds” on the family’s request as there was no mortuary within 100 kms.

According to police, Maya Kanwar (30) living in Barmer’s Gadara Road came in contact with an electric line when she was hanging clothes on an iron wire on the rooftop of her house on Tuesday. Hearing her screams, her mother-in-law Raja Devi and father-in-law Padam Singh rushed to save her but they also received electric shocks.

The three were rushed to the health centre where both the women were declared brought dead while Singh was referred to a Barmer hospital for treatment, police said.

The CHC doctors then conducted the post-mortem examination outside the centre on Wednesday. “There is no mortuary in 100-kilometre stretch between Barmer and Gadara Road. After requests from the police and family members, doctors performed the post-mortem in the open on humanitarian grounds,” said Dr Kamlesh Choudhary, Barmer’s chief medical and health officer. “Protocol has been followed during the postmortem.”

Residents of Gadara Road were not satisfied with the medical department’s claims. “It is not justified; it is not the first incident. Here doctors usually perform post-mortem in the same manner; it is disappointing,” said Manuram Meghwal.

Sabal Singh Bhati, another villager, alleged that health department officials were trying to justify their negligence. “When there is no mortuary facility, they (CHC officials) should take the bodies to the government hospital at Barmer in ambulances instead performing postmortem in the open,” he said.