Death of a Patient

1. When a death of a patient occurs within NIMH, the On Call Medical Officer attending should inform the On Call Senior Registrar, Patient‘s Consultant, Consultant Judicial Medical Officer and Director via telephone. On the BHT the death should be communicated to the Director and authorization should be requested for an inquest from the Director. The On Call MO should also write to the office to arrange for an inquest.

2. By law for all deaths occurring at NIMH it is required that an inquest be conducted. When a patient admitted to NIMH dies at another hospital after transferring from NIMH an inquest should be held at that hospital. When a patient dies while admitted to NIMH an inquest must be held regardless of any external pressures. However you should take personal interest in expediting the process so that every effort is taken to handover the body of the deceased to the relatives within 24hrs where families request to do so.

3. After the initial proceedings a report should be written/ typed to the Magistrate conducting the inquest. The report should ideally be written by the patient‘s allocated Key Medical Officer.

However in his or her absence it is the responsibility of the On Call Medical Officer or Registrar attending to the death to ensure that the report is written at the earliest.

4. The report should be written to the Registrar of the Magistrate Court Colombo. It should be signed by the Medical Officer/ Registrar writing the letter. It would be a good practice to get it countersigned by the patient‘s attending Primary Consultant. The letter should be forwarded to the

Courts through the Director, NIMH.

5. The report should have a detailed summary of the patient's treatment at NIMH from admission till the time of death written in plain English. Use of clinical terms should be avoided if possible. If foul play is suspected in the death of the patient that should be mentioned in the report. A copy of the report should be filed with the BHT.

6. If a patient, having transferred to ward 18 dies fairly early it would be appropriate for the Psychiatric

MO/ Registrar to prepare the report. However when a patient dies in Ward 18 after a longer duration of stay the Court Report should be prepared by the Ward 18 Medical Officer in consultation with the

Psychiatric Medical Officer/Registrar. The report should be signed by both officers and it would be a good practice to get it countersigned by the patient‘s attending primary consultant.

7. The inquest for a death will be done under the purview of the Magistrate Court, Colombo. A post mortem will be conducted by the Judicial Medical Officer and a report submitted to the courts. The

Magistrate will visit to review the death and once proceedings are cleared will issue an order to release the body.

8. The relevant subject officer in the Inquiries Section and the Overseer Office will coordinate the handling of diseased bodies.

9. Once clearance is received through the Magistrate order the body may be handed over to the family after checking all documentation including the instructions given by the court.

10. If the deceased does not have a next of kin to accept the body with permission of the court the body will be directed for burial through the local government bodies utilizing the state funds.