Why are women's autopsies still assisted by male attendants?

Despite growing calls for female attendants at morgues, women’s autopsies in most hospitals in Rajshahi Division are still assisted by male morgue attendants.

Autopsies are a necessary legal procedure to determine the cause of unnatural deaths and help investigate crimes. However, relatives, morgue workers, development activists and hospital officials say female staff should be available when autopsies are conducted on women's bodies.

The issue has remained unresolved for years as hospitals lack female morgue attendants, commonly known as doms.

On July 24, Farida Parvin, 35, was stabbed to death in Harian Union of Paba upazila in Rajshahi. Her body was taken to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) for an autopsy, where a male attendant assisted with the procedure.

Her husband, Lalon Sheikh, said he did not raise an objection because he knew there were no female attendants at the hospital.

He said a female attendant would have been preferable and called on the government to appoint at least one female morgue worker to assist with autopsies of women.

A similar concern was raised in a report published in 2023, which found that morgues at several hospitals in Rajshahi Division had no female attendants. Hospital authorities at the time said the Health Ministry had been informed about the need to recruit both male and female morgue attendants.

Three years later, the situation remains largely unchanged.

Several morgue workers at RMCH, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there were no female attendants and that male workers assisted doctors during autopsies.

One of them said women from their community were interested in the profession but would require proper training and formal recruitment opportunities.

Former RMCH morgue attendant Tapan Kumar, who retired eight months ago, said there were no permanently appointed morgue attendants at the hospital and the workers were supplied through outsourcing.

He said he had assisted with autopsies of female bodies during his service and believed trained women should be recruited for the work.

Rajshahi University psychology professor Enamul Haque said the presence of female workers during autopsies of women was important from a psychological perspective and could help reduce relatives' concerns.

He said the presence of female staff could also help ensure greater respect for the deceased and build confidence among family members.

Hospital authorities said immediate recruitment was not possible because of issues related to manpower structure, recruitment rules and approved posts.

RMCH Principal Prof Dr Khandakar Md Faisal Alam said the hospital currently relied on male attendants recruited through outsourcing.

He said two attendants would be recruited through outsourcing and that one of the posts would be filled by a woman.

RMCH spokesperson Dr Sheikh Shamim Ahmed said the recruitment of female morgue attendants was under discussion.

Rajshahi Divisional Health Director Dr Habibur Rahman said there was a shortage of people interested in working in forensic medicine, including female doctors and morgue attendants.

He said female attendants were needed for autopsies of women and that the authorities would consider opportunities to appoint them where possible.

Civil society representatives have also called for the profession to be modernised through proper training, formal recruitment and better pay.

They said professionalising morgue services and ensuring the presence of trained female staff during autopsies of women could improve public confidence and ensure greater dignity for the deceased.

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