Decide in haste ;Repent at leisure

The time was 7.30 A.M. It was my duty day. It means I have to spend the next twenty four hours in hospital without going home. Apart from my normal work I shall be seeing all medico legal cases like accidents, poisoning, and unnatural deaths, to cite a few.In short; whatever designated as police cases. When I stepped into casualty, the presence of a large crowd there warned me of some emergency. There was this fat woman of forty lying lifeless on the stretcher surrounded by anxious friends and relatives. I could guess that she was somebody of importance
It seems the lady had sustained a severe shock at home while switching on the water heater.Immediately fell down flat on the floor hitting her head against the stone slab in the bathroom, becoming unconscious in the process. She was rushed to the hospital. But alas! She was beyond resuscitation.
All hell broke loose when I broke the news of death. High sounding wails with beating of chest by women present paralyzed the work of the outpatient department. I sensed I had an unpleasant day ahead.
It being an accidental death, I quietly informed the local police for information and further action. The relatives and friends did not allow the hospital staff to shift the body to the mortuary. They felt that here was an accidental death due to electric shock and there was no role for the police, as there was no foul play. They wanted to take back the body home. They were furious at me for bringing in the police.
When the police arrived on the scene, they held a cursory enquiry with the relatives and friends. I could make out that pressure had been brought on them to release the body without much ado. Before releasing the body they wanted a medical certificate to the effect that the death was caused by electrocution. Both the police and the relatives were taken aback to hear me replying that that was not possible
I explained to the police that the patient was brought dead to the hospital. Based on the history alone, it is not possible to confirm that death had happened as a result of electrocution. Only after postmortem of the body could we issue a certificate as to the exact cause of death. Immediately tempers started rising high and abuses hurled at me for the denial of certificate without postmortem. I could hear comments like ‘Unkind, uncooperative and adamant.’ I felt humiliated when someone in the crowd commented"எலும்பு துண்டை வீசு; கொடுப்பான்"( Bribe him; He will issue ). They probably felt that a simple death due to electrocution is being complicated by me, by insisting on an autopsy. Come what may, they did not want the dead body of the woman to be cut and mutilated in the name of postmortem.
. More pressure was brought on the police who contacted their higher ups for help. Senior police officials dropped in along with local politicians who in turn conspired with the chief of the hospital. All I could say was that it was not possible for me to issue a death certificate citing electrocution as a cause of death without an autopsy. In vain I pleaded with a couple of friends of the family the need and advantage of having the autopsy. At the end the police released the body without a postmortem. I heaved a sigh of relief though I was depressed. The only redeeming feature was the appreciation by the chief of hospital and a few of my colleagues for my unwavering stand in the face of unreasonable demand of the high level officials and politicians.
. I never imagined that vindication of my stand would happen very soon and that too by the same family. Under guidance from a lawyer friend of theirs, they filed a suit against the house owner for compensation for indirectly causing the death of the woman through improper maintenance of the house. It seems the owner had been apprised of the need to check the electrical circuitry including the earthing of the main supply on several occasions.
On the day of hearing I was present in the court as an expert witness. The plaintiff’s lawyer made out a case that death was due to electrocution and demanded compensation for negligence. The defense argued that the woman had a fall in the bathroom hitting her head in the stone slab resulting in severe head injury to vital regions causing death. It was my turn to testify as to the exact cause of death. I had no other option except to state that a dead woman was brought with a history of having sustained electric shock followed by a fall in the bath room. In the absence of autopsy the cause of death could not be ascertained.
None of the politicians or higher officials were there to fight the case.
Gopalan
.

Very insightful and well written post.

dear gopalan sir,

what an interesting anecdote...one from your innumerable medical files,no doubt...you being adamant and standing for your principles worked to their advantage..you must send this to readers digest "humour in uniform" or "life is like that"
thanks for sharing..

Dear Gopalan,
I enjoyed reading the post & also the integrity of your character to which i salute. I understand your predicament and appreciate your steadfast on priniciple which is very rare now.

It is tough to deal with people especially when a family members dies and in the agony they look forward to blame some one.

Iam sure it was really tough on you, but as you if we decide in haste we may repent later.
Jaya

Sir for your firm stand when situations warrant.
Can understand the agony of the relatives and also the position you were in..

sriniketan

Dear Gopalan sir,

enjoyed reading the anecdote. Like you have correctly said, any decisions taken in haste will come back to haunt.

Dear Gopalan,
I must congratulate you for the principled ans scientific stand you took on this occasion.Very few can stand upto such pressure.Your post has prompted me to write on something exactly opposite and how my judgement helped a family.
An excellent article on the dilemma faced by doctors.
Regards
LAKSHIMINARAYANAN

Sir
A wonderful post. I just have a few questions for you.
1.As we all know ,in India we use 220 volts AC current at home. Is possible for this to cause death of a person?
Secondly is it possible for doctors to ascertain the cause of death as being due to electrocution without doing postmortem?
Lakshmi

Dear sir,
I really salute your firmness. but as Lakshmi asked the same doubt came across to my mind also. is it possible? any way you have very clearly and wonderfully explained your situation standing between the grief stricken family and the rules. Kudos to your courage! a well written post.
with love
pad

Dear Ms.Radha
Thanks for your appreciation
Gopalan