A Quality-Assured Medico-Legal Service Through Human Resource Management in the Medico-Legal Unit of Sri Lanka

Abstract

A specialist in forensic medicine has a dual role in Sri Lanka. These are conducting autopsies on death and the medico-legal examination of living cases of physical and sexual assault, poisoning or alcohol intoxication, etc. To deliver a quality-assured forensic service human resources play a pivotal role. The present workforce of a medico-legal unit consists of a specialist in forensic medicine, a medical officer medico-legal, a development officer, a morgue assistant, and a female healthcare assistant. Due to the lack of necessary professional skills among non-medical staff members and the lack of proper job descriptions for the non-medical staff members some pivotal functions in the medico-legal unit are handled by the less qualified staff members. We suggest that the relevant professional bodies in collaboration with ministries, develop standardized job descriptions and allocation of roles for non-medical staff members across the medico-legal units in the country so that the institutions and all the stakeholders adhere to the duties specified to improve the desired quality of the medico-legal unit.