Confidence lost in Malawian Pathologist

VIEWPOINT:

Firstly, there is something unnatural that has been happening in this country since July which scares us: death and destruction. It is targeting only those that have different views from those that are in power.

We are all aware of the death of one Polytechnic Mechanical Engineering student, who was found dead near dispensary and finance office at the campus. As my fellow student, I rule out and bash the myth that Robert Chasowa committed suicide and it's very unfortunate that our police service thinks that he committed suicide because of one unsigned note.

Furthermore, the question whether the fellow committed suicide or was murdered cannot be answered willy-nilly only a pathologists could determine the actual events leading to his death.

The deceased according to the report produced by one College of Medicine pathologists sustained a deep injury at the rear of his head. This is so true but the autopsy report does not include only that type of information. It carries more weight just like the name itself.

Dzamalala: Pathologist

I challenge the pathologists that the autopsy report was not enough. What pathology is? Pathology is the study and diagnosis of disease. Pathology addresses  four  components of disease: cause/etiology, mechanisms of development (pathogenesis), structural alterations of cells (morphologic changes), and the consequences of changes (clinical manifestations).

Pathology is further separated into divisions, based on either the system being studied (e.g. veterinary pathology and animal disease) or the focus of the examination (e.g. forensic pathology !and determining the cause of death). My interest is forensic Pathology.

Forensic pathology is a branch of pathology concerned with determining the cause of death by examination of a corpse. The autopsy is performed by the pathologist at the request of a coroner or medical examiner usually during the investigation of criminal law cases and civil law cases in some jurisdictions.

Forensic pathologists are also frequently asked to confirm the identity of a corpse. The forensic pathologist: Is a medical doctor who has completed training in anatomical pathology and who has subsequently sub-specialized in forensic pathology.

The requirements for becoming a "fully qualified" forensic pathologist vary from country to country. Some of the different requirements are: (1) Performs autopsies/postmortem examinations to determine the cause of death. The autopsy report contains an opinion about :

[1.1] The pathologic process, injury, or disease that directly results in or initiates a series of events which lead to a person’s death (also called mechanism of ! death), such as  what led to the deep cut on the head, exsanguination caused by a stab wound, manual or ligature strangulation, myocardial infarction resulting from coronary artery disease, etc.) and

[1.2] The “manner of death”, the circumstances surrounding the cause of death, which in most jurisdictions include:

•       Homicide

•       Accidental

•       Natural

•       Suicide

•       Undetermined

(2)     The autopsy also provides an opportunity for other issues raised by the death to be addressed, such as the collection of trace evidence or determining the identity of the deceased.

The same pathologists produced Linda Gasa's autopsy report; her report was genuine unlike Robert Chasowa's autopsy. The autopsy report of Chasowa produced by the pathologists didn't address some of the requirements of true pathologists.

If the pathologists cannot produce actual results in some entities, then I say the public has lost trust in you, the qualifications you hold are just mere papers that do not reflect true meaning.

Nyasa Times 30 Sep, 2011

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Source: http://www.nyasatimes.com/malawi/2011/09/29/confidence-lost-in-malawian-pathologist/
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