Faculty

Dr. A.D.Ropmay
Additional Professor
MD Forensic Medicine
Reg. No.: 64449 - Tamil Nadu Medical Council (MBBS)
108245 - Medical Council of India (MD)
Email: a[dot]d[dot]ropmay[at]neigrihms[dot]gov[dot]in

• Dr. Prabal Das
• Dr.Samparna Prusty

1. Dr. Lokesh Ravi Varma Naidu
2. Dr. Bhaskar Mukherjee

1. Dr. Aishwarya M
2. Dr.BansamkuparNongkhlaw
3. Dr. Anurag Dutta

1. Dr.Chingtham Nishita
2. Dr.Mebansan Kharkongor
3. Dr.Chabungbam Vandana

Introduction

• The Department of Forensic Medicine, NEIGRIHMS started in the year 2009.
• Academic activities for the first batch of MBBS students started in 2010.
• Medicolegal works started in 2012.
  
• The department obtained permission from the state authorities to conduct medico-legal autopsy in the year 2016.
  
• All the faculty post including the Professor was filled up in 2017.
  
• Postgraduate MD course in Forensic Medicine started in 2019, with 3 PGs admission per year.
  
• Laboratory services with Histopathology, Forensic biology &Toxicology started in 2020.
• NEIGRIHMS is the second institute in India to startVirtual autopsy in 2022.

Infrastructure and Patient Care Services: -

• The department is presently located in two places within the hospital premises:
  • Virtual Autopsy cum Mortuary Block, including Forensic Radiology Unit: Basement (-1 level) of the main hospital block, covering an area of 400 square meters. The block has the following rooms:
    • Cold Storage Facility:
      • Room with mortuary cabinets, which are maintained at 4°C for medicolegal and non-medicolegal cases.
    • Facility for Conventional Autopsy:
      • State-of-the-art autopsy room with laminar flow and HEPA filter exhaust system.
      • Dissection tables made of stainless steel and granite.
      • Ceiling-mounted OT lamp with camera attachment and recording facility for ongoing autopsies.
      • Portable X-ray machine attached to a DICOM printer.
    • Facility of Virtual Autopsy:
      • CT scan machine with console, workstation, and UPS for power backup.
      • Virtual dissection table with facility for 3D reconstruction, image processing, and storage, which is the only one of its kind in India in the field of Forensic Medicine.
    • Conference Room:
      • State-of-the-art conference room with digital display facilities for case discussion and review.
    • Other Facilities:
      • Separate rooms for police, relatives of the deceased, security guards, and mortuary attendants, along with washrooms, toilets, and bathrooms.
  • Administrative/Academics/Laboratory/Museum/Library/Storeroom/Clinical Forensic Medicine Unit/Demonstration Rooms/etc: First floor of the New Medical College.
• The department provides the following patient care facilities:
  1. Medicolegal Autopsy Services
     • Virtual Autopsy (Forensic Radiology Unit)
       • This facility was started in March 2022.
       • The technology uses computerized tomography (CT) to scan the body and produce a three-dimensional image of the body that can be visualized on a workstation monitor and further transferred to a virtual dissection table.
       • All cases are subjected to virtual autopsy prior to conventional autopsy.
     • Conventional Autopsy:
       • The service was started in September 2016.
     • Embalming Services (on a payment basis):
       • The department offers embalming services in medicolegal autopsy cases where it is necessary to transport the deceased person's body to remote locations in India and abroad. It also serves to preserve the bodies for upcoming dissections and educational purposes.
       • Embalming charges are as per institute norms. For details, Click here.
  2. Mortuary Services:
     • For the preservation of dead bodies for medicolegal and non-medicolegal cases in cold cabinets, which are maintained at 4°C. Details of the cases are entered in the register at the time of receiving as well as at the time of handover to prevent any disputes.
       • For medicolegal cases of unknown/unidentified individuals, their bodies are kept for a maximum period of 72 hours, after which the police take the necessary steps for disposal as per existing norms.
  3. Laboratory Services:
     • Forensic Toxicology (currently for academic purposes only)
       • Spot/Screening/Colour tests for poisons are done routinely and demonstrated to students as part of their curriculum.
       • Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) with headspace attachment for qualitative and quantitative analysis of poisons and substances of abuse.
     • Forensic Biology/Serology:
       • Microscopic examination of blood and seminal stains is carried out for medicolegal, academic, and research purposes. Studies in relation to seminal smears are being conducted by laboratory technicians under faculty supervision.
       • Diatom tests in cases of alleged drowning are done from time to time.
     • Forensic Histopathology:
       • It is equipped with an automated tissue processor, wax bath, and embedding station.
       • The department also extends services for the samples (exhibits) of autopsy cases done in other parts of Meghalaya.
  4. Clinical Forensic Medicine Services:
     1. Examination and reporting of medicolegal cases.
     2. Age estimation for both medicolegal and non-medicolegal cases.
     3. Sample collection for DNA examination.
     4. Sexual assault examination and reporting.
     5. Referral cases or medico-legal consultations from other departments of NEIGRIHMS.
     6. Providing expert opinion and consultation to other agencies within and outside the State of Meghalaya.
     7. Visiting crime scenes within and outside the State of Meghalaya, along with the police and other agencies.
  5. Other Important Information:
     1. All necessary documents for medicolegal autopsy are received between:
        1. 9:00 am to 3:00 pm (Monday to Friday).
        2. 9:00 am to 1:00 pm (Saturday, Sunday, and Holidays).
     2. All medicolegal services are free of cost (embalming is chargeable as mentioned above).
     3. All non-medicolegal services are chargeable as per Institute norms.

Academic Activities:-

• Undergraduate and Postgraduate medical education.
• Nursing medical education.
• Training of the doctors, police personnel and other officials of different agencies.
• Elective posting for final year MBBS students on virtual autopsy and forensic toxicology of two weeks duration.
• MBBS Internship posting for one week where the focus is on teaching procedural skills such as writing an injury report, examination, and reporting in cases of alleged sexual assault and age estimation, and filling a Medical Certification of Cause of Death (MCCD) form correctly.
• Internship/ Training programme for forensic science students, nursing students and students from other institutes.
• Workshops and Continuing Medical Education (CME) programs on topics of medico-legal interest are organized from time to time for doctors, police, judicial officers, and staff of the forensic science laboratory.

Research and Publications: -

1. Areas of research interest:
   • Virtual autopsy and Forensic radiology
   • Forensic pathology
   • Forensic anthropometry
   • Forensic toxicology
   • Clinical forensic medicine
   • Postmortem CT-angiography
   • Time since death
   • Forensic nursing
2. Publications in last five years:

   Sl.No	Publications for the last 5 years
   1	Nath A, Patowary AJ, Ropmay AD, Slong D. Accident to Homicide – A Case Report. J For Med Sci Law 2019;28(2):52-54.
   2	Ropmay AD, Patowary AJ, Slong D, Bhattacharyya H. Profile of cases brought to the Forensic Medicine Department under the POCSO Act, 2012. Indian J Forensic Med Pathol 2020 Jan-Mar; 13(1): 15-18.
   3	Slong D, Ropmay AD, Marak AR, Nath A, Marbaniang RBY, Patowary AJ. Perception of relatives towards Medico-legal autopsy in a tertiary care centre of Northeast India. J Punjab Acad Forensic Med Toxicol 2021;21(1):39-43
   4	Ropmay AD, Bhattacharyya H, Slong D, Marak AR, Barman S, Patowary AJ. Knowledge, attitudes and practice of medical termination of pregnancy amongst doctors in Shillong, northeast India. Glob BioethEnq 2020 Sep; 8(2):77-82.
   5	Nath A, Patowary AJ, Ropmay AD, Slong D, Pratim KP, Rymbai BK, et al. A cross-sectional study of time since death from image analysis of corneal opacity. Cureus. 2021;13(5).
   6	Ropmay AD, Nath A, Patowary AJ, Slong D, Bhattacharyya H, Das H. Awareness of nursing students on legal and ethical issues in day-to-day practice at a teaching hospital in Shillong, northeast India. Glob BioethEnq 2021 Sep; 9(2):108-113.
   7	Ramu Damu DA, Ropmay AD, Slong D, Patowary AJ, Nath A, Jonpelly AR. Perception of medical students on the legal and ethical aspects of abortion in a teaching hospital in northeast India. Glob BioethEnq 2021 Dec; 9(3):161-165.
   8	Sarma A, Das GC, Barman B, Patowary AJ, Ropmay AD, Boruah P, et al. An Anatomical Study on the Measurement of Stature From Ulnar Length in the Adult Ethnic Khasi Tribal Population of the North Eastern Region of India. Cureus [Internet]. 2022 Feb 10 [cited 2022 Feb 18]; Available from: https://www.cureus.com/articles/84395-an-anatomical-study-on-the-measurement-of-stature-from-ulnar-length-in-the-adult-ethnic-khasi-tribal-population-of-the-north-eastern-region-of-india.
   9	Nath A, Ropmay AD, Slong D, Patowary AJ, Rao AJ. A cross-sectional study on knowledge of registered medical practitioners, regarding management of medico-legal cases in Meghalaya. J Family Med Prim Care 2022;11:904-7.
   10	Nath A, Ropmay AD, Slong D, Patowary AJ, Jonpelli A, Kishant S, Das P. A cross-sectional study on perception of medical students on online medical teaching in present scenario of covid 19 in a tertiary medical institute. J Forensic Med Sci Law 2022 Jan-Jun; 31(1):8-12.
   11	Nath A, Ropmay AD, Slong D, Talukdar R, Patowary AJ. Acceptance and hesitancy towards Covid-19 vaccination in the local population of East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, and Sonitpur, Assam. Int J Health Res Medico Leg Prac 2022 Jul-Dec; 8(2):36-42.
   12	Amarantha DR, Noor T, Swanand SP. Effect of education in AETCOM competencies in shaping the professional attitudes of medical students. South East Asian J Med Educ 2022 July-Dec; 16(2):38-45.
   13	Thakuri N, Tase N, Ropmay AD. A study to assess the effectiveness of an information booklet on knowledge regarding Child Abuse and Neglect (CAN) and POCSO Act among nurses in selected hospitals of Shillong, Meghalaya. Int J Med Sci Innov Res 2023 May; 8(3):336-347.
   14	Sangma MM, Patowary AJ, Slong D. A fatal case of self-inflicted abdominal stab wound. The Official Publication of Indian Academy of Forensic Medicine. 2021 Jul;43(3):281-3.

Vision of the Department and future plans: -

1. To set up dedicated Toxicology Unit and Poison Information Center.
2. To set up DNA laboratory for analysis of samples received from in and around Shillong. This would be a boon to the region as they are presently being sent to other States.
3. To start DM course in Forensic Radiology.
4. To start PhD courses in Forensic Toxicology, Forensic Odontology and Forensic Anthropometry.
5. To start training courses for Forensic laboratory technology and mortuary technicians.

Achievements of the Department: -

1. Successfully conducted the 12th International conference of the Indian Academy of Medicolegal Experts (IAMLECON 2023).
2. Fourth (4th) autopsy incision [Cosmetic incision] by Prof. (Dr.) Amar Jyoti Patowary.
3. Patents: -
   • Autopsy workstation by Prof. (Dr.) Amar Jyoti Patowary(Patent number 525625 of The Patent Office, Government of India).
   • Spinal cord dissection technique by Dr.DaunipaiaSlong and Prof. (Dr.) Amar Jyoti Patowary(published in thePatent office Journal 31/2024 dated 2nd August, 2024, in the process of patenting).
4. Awards: -

   Name of the award	Awardee	Event	Year
   Best oral presentation in faculty category	Dr. Anamika Nath (SRD)	FORENSIC MEDICON	2021
   Oral presentation in PG category	Dr. Bhaskar Mukherjee (2nd Prize)	IAMLECON	2023
   	Dr.Bansamkupar Nonghklaw (2nd prize)	IAMLECON	2023
   	Dr. Aishwarya M. (3rd prize)	NATIONAL CME ON COPRA	2023
   Poster presentation in PG category	Dr. Bhaskar Mukherjee (3rd prize)	FORENSIC MEDICON	2022
   	Dr. Aishwarya M (1st prize)	IAMLECON	2023
   	Dr.Bansamkupar Nonghklaw (3rd prize)	NEIGRIHMS Annual Day	2023
   	Dr. Aishwarya M. (3rd prize)	SIMLA Conference	2023
   Awards received by other staffs	Mrs. Rangme B.Y. Marbaniang, Technical Assistant (1st prize)	NEIGRIHMS Annual Day	2019

Notices and Events: -

Downloads: -

1. Case exhibit submission form (Click here)
2. Case exhibit submission guidelines (Click here)

Department email contacts: -

• hod-forensic@neigrihms[dot]gov[dot]in
• forensicmedicineneigrihms@gmail.com