By U. SUDHAKAR REDDY
Hyderabad, Nov. 24: Sales of unclaimed dead bodies from Hyderabad's Osmania and Gandhi General Hospital mortuaries have declined sharply because of a price war. Regular customers, including private medical colleges from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, now prefer to buy bodies from hospitals in Maharashtra and other northern states, which sell them cheaper.
The Andhra Pradesh government had directed mortuaries to sell unclaimed bodies to private medical colleges for dissection and anatomy studies at the rate of Rs 15,000 per cadaver. However, neighbouring Maharashtra sells a body for rates ranging from Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000.
"There is also a huge black market where bodies are being sold for even lower prices," said Dr M. Narayana Reddy, head of Osmania Medical College's forensic department.
At present there are seven unclaimed bodies lying in the Osmania mortuary, but there are no takers. Similarly, there are 15 unclaimed bodies awaiting buyers in the Gandhi Medical College mortuary. "We have more facilities in our new mortuary and there are more bodies for sale," said Dr G. Surender Reddy, head of the GMC forensic department. "But we don't have any requisitions at present."
For the past five years, Andhra Pradesh was South India's major cadaver seller. But the price war has changed it all. The official policy is to give unclaimed bodies to government medical colleges free and to sell them to private medical colleges. Preference is given to private medical colleges in the state.
"We haven't got any requests for bodies from private medical colleges outside the state in the past two months," said Dr P. Harikrishna a forensic doctor at the Osmania Medical College. "They are getting it for lower prices from Maharashtra and the northern states." He added that the hospital made Rs 20 lakhs this year through the sale of bodies. "Private medical colleges in the state also have a sufficient number of bodies till May," he said.
Local mortuaries in Kurnool, Guntur and Vijayawada are catering to the needs of private medical colleges in the neighbourhood. The director of medical education, Dr A.V.Y. Chary, said the drop in sales had not come to his notice. "The money made from the sale of bodies is used to develop hospitals," he said.
Hyderabad, Nov. 24: Sales of unclaimed dead bodies from Hyderabad's Osmania and Gandhi General Hospital mortuaries have declined sharply because of a price war. Regular customers, including private medical colleges from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, now prefer to buy bodies from hospitals in Maharashtra and other northern states, which sell them cheaper.
The Andhra Pradesh government had directed mortuaries to sell unclaimed bodies to private medical colleges for dissection and anatomy studies at the rate of Rs 15,000 per cadaver. However, neighbouring Maharashtra sells a body for rates ranging from Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000.
"There is also a huge black market where bodies are being sold for even lower prices," said Dr M. Narayana Reddy, head of Osmania Medical College's forensic department.
At present there are seven unclaimed bodies lying in the Osmania mortuary, but there are no takers. Similarly, there are 15 unclaimed bodies awaiting buyers in the Gandhi Medical College mortuary. "We have more facilities in our new mortuary and there are more bodies for sale," said Dr G. Surender Reddy, head of the GMC forensic department. "But we don't have any requisitions at present."
For the past five years, Andhra Pradesh was South India's major cadaver seller. But the price war has changed it all. The official policy is to give unclaimed bodies to government medical colleges free and to sell them to private medical colleges. Preference is given to private medical colleges in the state.
"We haven't got any requests for bodies from private medical colleges outside the state in the past two months," said Dr P. Harikrishna a forensic doctor at the Osmania Medical College. "They are getting it for lower prices from Maharashtra and the northern states." He added that the hospital made Rs 20 lakhs this year through the sale of bodies. "Private medical colleges in the state also have a sufficient number of bodies till May," he said.
Local mortuaries in Kurnool, Guntur and Vijayawada are catering to the needs of private medical colleges in the neighbourhood. The director of medical education, Dr A.V.Y. Chary, said the drop in sales had not come to his notice. "The money made from the sale of bodies is used to develop hospitals," he said.
(Published in Deccan Chronicle and Asian Age on November 25 2007)
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