COIMBATORE: ESI Medical College Hospital in Coimbatore, which became the first ESI Hospital in the nation to start post-mortem procedures three years ago, has completed 3067 post-mortems so far.
The forensic medical team of the hospital said the awareness of the importance of post-mortem has increased the number of cases in the last two years.
"If a death is reported out of hospital, it must undergo post-mortem, as it helps the families to find out the cause of death," said doctors.
Dr V Vinothkumar, HOD (in charge) of Forensic Science department of the hospital, said that the post-mortem procedure is important not only for medico-legal cases, but also helps in many ways to the family.
"Cases of sudden, unexpected, or unnatural deaths occurring outside of hospitals are increasingly required to undergo a post-mortem to determine the exact cause of death. This helps to distinguish between natural and unnatural deaths.
Post-mortem provides crucial answers about why a loved one died, helping families find closure. It identifies underlying, previously unknown diseases, which can be critical for the health of surviving family members. It also helps in civil matters, such as property-related issues, insurance claims and loans, by establishing an official cause of death," he said.
An autopsy is also a vital tool for diagnosing familial, hereditary, and genetic diseases that may have been unknown or misdiagnosed during a person's life. However, many people are still resisting the procedure, Vinothkumar added.
"A year ago, an eight-year-old boy collapsed while playing football. When a healthy, active boy collapsed suddenly, the family panicked. The post-mortem found that the boy was suffering from Myocardial bridging (MB), a congenital anomaly and a rare health issue.
Based on the findings, the family protected the health of the boy's younger brother. So, a post-mortem is a must for all deaths. If we have any doubts on someone's death or if we want to know the cause of death, we can approach the police to initiate post-mortem procedures," Vinothkumar said.
He said there has been a rise in public awareness regarding the importance of autopsies in the last two years, resulting in a higher number of cases. In 2022, while 268 cases were4 reported, it rose to 793 in 2023, 909 in 2024 and 938 in 2025. This year so far, 157 autopsies have been conducted.
Unlike regular government hospitals, the ESI hospital offered only a few services, like emergency care for 48 hours and administration of vaccinations. After a long struggle, the Government Medical College and ESIC Hospital were declared the first ESI hospital in the country to start an autopsy facility on July 22, 2022.
This facility was inaugurated to handle medico-legal cases and reduce the burden on Coimbatore Medical College Hospital. The ESI now handles around 100 cases each month, whereas CMCH handles over 250 cases, according to the Dean, Dr M Raveendran. It also shares handles the medico-legal cases from 30 police station limits - 21 stations in the Coimbatore rural district (Karumathampatti and Pollachi sub-divisions) and nine stations from Coimbatore city (East and South ranges).