After being turned away on Monday, the families of three murdered people, all Muslims, finally got their autopsies done at the Forensic Science Centre (FSC), St James, after off duty pathologist Dr. Eastlyn Mc Donald-Burris agreed to come out to do them.
The T&T Guardian was reliably informed that Dr Mc Donald-Burris was supposed to be off this week and Dr Hughvon des Vignes was scheduled to work from Monday.
However, Des Vignes will return to Trinidad from Tobago today to resume duties. No explanation was given to the T&T Guardian for his two-day absence.
In a brief telephone interview yesterday, FSC director Arlette Lewis referred all questions on the lack of pathologists to the Communications Unit of the Ministry of Justice. Lewis said the code of conduct for the public service did not allow her to share such information.
On Monday, at least six funeral agencies took 15 bodies for autopsies but were left disappointed after all of them were cancelled due to the non-availability of a pathologist.
Yesterday, Shyam’s Funeral Home, Boodoo’s Funeral Services and Ogeer’s Islamic Funeral Services were the only agencies called to the FSC.
The agencies came for the bodies of Ashanti Debidin, Kameel Ali and Ishmael Mohammed, who were murdered on Saturday. Under Muslim rites, the Sanat al-Janazah (Muslim funeral last rites) is supposed to take place as soon as possible and this was the reason the autopsies were facilitated yesterday.
Speaking with the media afterwards, a relative of Ali said she was upset at having to wait most of the day Monday only to be told the autopsy would not be done.
“After 1 pm, or maybe later, someone came and told relatives there will be no autopsies. After waiting so long, that was so disappointing,” the woman, who did not want to be identified, said.
In a telephone interview yesterday, forensic pathologist Dr Valery Alexandrov, whose term at the FSC ended in January, said had he been contracted he would have come out on his vacation to do the autopsies.
Alexandrov said he was brought here seven years ago as there was a shortage of pathologists and queried why the Government was taking so long to renew his contract.
“I was interviewed on April 22 and it is like a marriage proposal. It is either yes or no. If they don’t want me, then fine, I take my stuff and go home. I will be leaving the country on June 5 and if nothing from those bureaucrats then I will sell my car and leave. There is a limit to everything,” Alexandrov said.
The Russian-born forensic pathologist added under former minister of justice Hubert Volney his contract was automatically renewed.
He said even with three doctors the FSC would still by understaffed by two doctors and the five mortuary attendants currently there, three of them women, also were insufficient.