JIST

The faux pas of Forensic Toxicology (in India)

On a busy working day, I was in my office room and one of my paediatrician colleague hurriedly rushed to my room and asked for a toxicological investigations for a seriously ill infant admitted to our hospital. Although, nobody was clear about the cause that made the 10 month old baby girl unconscious. It was suspected that, she might had consumed some medicine tablets accidentally; most likely some sleeping pills or antiepileptic drugs. Because, two members of that family were taking those medications and they were stored in an unleaded contained over the drawing room tea table. The situation was embarrassing for me. Because, none of the forensic departments (from about 15-17 institutions) around here including that of mine is not having a toxicological lab sufficient to detect drug over dosage. Hence, I apologised him for not able to perform the required tests, nor can refer any toxicology lab. Nevertheless, there is a government forensic lab here but in poorest condition. I gave him a lame suggestion that he could give a police intimation (as it is a poisoning case) and send the samples to FSL through police. With a desperate sigh, he said “if during medical emergency also we have to wait till police will take care of our toxicology samples, then why for your Forensic Medicine & Toxicology ?!!!”

Dear friends, what more embarrassing than such foux pas could happen to our specialty in India. I don’t think, such embarrassment was just a coincidence that had happened with me, this could happen to any Forensic Medicine and Toxicology (FM & T) specialist (in existing Indian conditions). Now, the ultimate questions comes up - why this happens to us? Do we really worth the master’s degree of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology for the extent of services we are rendering?! Do we have given enough to this speciality as a toxicology specialist?! Are we able enough to secure our position (as done by our fellow specialties) in our society?! As you know, with few exceptions almost all Medical Institutions or government laboratories including those belongs to Institutes of National Importance are lacking even a basic toxicology lab. If, according to the MCI it is very clear that the Toxicology subject in medical graduate curriculum is being taught by the FM & T department (and, few aspects often by Pharmacology department); why FM & T department is not delineated to render toxicology lab services (like what pathology, microbiology, etc. departments are doing)?!

I think, a major drawback by the most of the government is, providing toxicology laboratories only in the FSLs and not in the hospitals. It’s unfortunate that, almost all toxicology labs existing in India are have limited capacity to analyse samples (hardly, some screening and very few confirmatory tests). Infamous Sunanda Puskar death case would be bitter most example for such incapacity of Indian Forensic Toxicology (all of us knows, finally where the samples had sent for toxicological screening). A lot many forums have already debated on the Forensic Toxicology issues in India and many are debating now. Enough debate had made, I think it’s now time to act and just to act on. I welcome you all to this platform of Journal of Indian Society (JIST) which perseverantly contributing to the science

of Indian Toxicology. I again, reminds you all that JIST exclusively follows the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (Vancouver) guidelines of ethical publication and maintaining its standards incessantly over the last 12 years.

Thank you all