Why make post-mortems mandatory for all deaths of children under 5 years?

7 May 2025 12:58 am Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 3 Bookmark

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The Ministry of Justice and National Integration has informed coroners that deaths of all children under the age of five will be subject to a mandatory post-mortem examination. Making it mandatory for all deaths of children under five has several disadvantages. It can cause additional worries for grieving families, especially when the cause of death is well known.

The procedure is invasive and may conflict with cultural and religious beliefs. Financially, it places a heavy burden on the health system, with each post-mortem costing around Rs. 15,000. It is a waste of the hospital’s invaluable resources, delaying funerals (which are not favourable from an Islamic perspective) and other essential services.

Furthermore, increased workloads may lead to staff burnout, while unnecessary post-mortems may complicate simple cases. Finally, the effectiveness of mandatory post-mortems in improving health indicators remains questionable, especially if major causes of death are already well-documented.

Hope that Hon. Minister Harshana Nanayakkara, Minister of Justice and National Integration, will not go ahead with the autopsy as per the Ministry’s circular because of the serious concerns raised above.

Mohamed Zahran

Colombo

Comments - 3

Spartacus Wednesday, 07 May 2025 08:10 AM

In a country where the population is on the decrease, this is an obvious practice to ensure the security of every precious born child.

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Sokrates Wednesday, 07 May 2025 09:04 AM

A post-mortem examination in young children is extremely important and is carried out in most Western countries. A cause of death, even if seemingly obvious, can only be confirmed or not confirmed by an autopsy. It is also important for science to know the exact cause of death in order to be able to develop drugs against infant mortality. Furthermore, it is no longer normal for young children to die. There is always a suspicion of foul play or neglect by the parents. Especially in Muslim families, female infants are still disproportionately at risk.

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Abu Umar Wednesday, 07 May 2025 10:57 AM

Do you have any evidence to support your claim that the mortality of female infants in Muslim families are disproportionately higher?

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