Balochistan Hospitals Get Medico-Legal Officers

News Desk

Quetta: The Balochistan government has launched steps to improve the handling of medico-legal cases in public hospitals by appointing medico-legal officers at district headquarters hospitals and major government healthcare facilities in Quetta.
The initiative is aimed at ensuring that victims of serious crimes receive timely medical examinations and that reports required for police investigations and court proceedings are prepared in accordance with legal requirements.
The Health Department will begin specialised training for the newly appointed officers in the first week of October at the forensic department of Bolan Medical Complex Quetta. The training will focus on basic medico-legal laws and procedures to help doctors deal with cases involving criminal investigations and legal proceedings.
The provincial government has directed the officers to prepare and provide medical reports of victims without unnecessary delays while ensuring that the documents are handled according to prescribed legal procedures.
To oversee the process, the Health Department has also formed a committee under the supervision of Dr Samiullah Kakar. The committee will monitor medico-legal matters and submit its findings and recommendations to senior authorities.
Officials said the appointment of dedicated medico-legal officers would strengthen coordination between hospitals, law-enforcement agencies and the justice system, particularly in cases involving serious crimes.
The department has also invited relevant stakeholders and experts to provide recommendations for improving the Medicolegal Cases (MLC) departments at Civil Hospital and Bolan Medical Complex in Quetta.
The proposed improvements are intended to ensure that MLC and post-mortem reports are prepared accurately and in line with legal standards, potentially strengthening the evidentiary process in criminal cases across the province.