FIRST: AIIMS, ICMR working on Virtual Autopsy technique

India is the first country to start "virtual autopsy" in the south-east Asian region. The All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), New Delhi and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) are working together on a technique for postmortem without incising/dissecting the body. This technique is likely to become functional in the next six months

New Delhi: Delhi's AIIMS and Indian Council of Medical Research are jointly working on a technique for postmortem without dissecting the body and it is likely to be functional within the next six months, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

India is the first country to start "virtual autopsy" in the south east Asian region, he added.

"The All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), New Delhi and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) are working together on a technique for postmortem without incising/dissecting the body. This technique is likely to become functional in the next six months," he said.

The ICMR and AIIMS have studied global practices and taken up this project for "dignified management of dead body", Vardhan said, adding family members of the deceased feel uncomfortable with the traditional way of postmortem, He said all records will be digitally stored for review.

Vardhan said the virtual autopsy will be cost and time effective as it would take only 30 minutes to complete one autopsy as against two-and-half hour in normal postmortem. The new technique will facilitate and ensure that there is no delay, he added.

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The ICMR has provided Rs 5 crore to AIIMS for this purpose and the process is in an advance stage for getting a CT machine, the minister said.

In the beginning, it is being started only in AIIMS but this can be introduced in other institutions of the country, Vardhan said, adding the AIIMS would provide training.

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