Gov’t Begins Work on Maldives’ First Post-Mortem Examination Facility

The government has begun work to establish the Maldives’ first facility for conducting post-mortem examinations, Minister of Health, Family and Welfare Geela Ali has announced.

The update was provided in response to a question in Parliament from the member for Galolhu North constituency, Mohamed Ibrahim, who sought clarification on why post-mortem examinations are not currently available in the Maldives and whether there were plans to introduce the service.

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The minister said the government has frequently been required to send bodies abroad for post-mortem examinations despite there being no legal barrier to conducting the procedures domestically.

She said the Malé City Group of Hospitals, in collaboration with relevant authorities, is working to establish a Level 2 medical unit. Once operational, the facility will provide clinical forensic, medico-legal and post-mortem services for the Greater Malé region and the rest of the country.

According to the minister, land has already been secured for the facility. The unit will also assess injuries sustained by victims of violence and people in custody, and determine the extent of injuries for legal and insurance purposes.

The facility will also carry out forensic examinations to establish causes of death in cases requiring legal investigation and support investigations into sexual and physical assault cases.

Although legislation governing post-mortem services was enacted in 2015, the service has not previously been established in the Maldives. The minister said the current administration is taking the necessary steps to introduce it.

Before the facility becomes operational, forensic pathology regulations will be finalised and published in the Government Gazette. The minister said efforts are also being made to ensure public confidence in the service.