Question : HUMAN CADAVER FOR MEDICAL STUDIES

(a) whether medical colleges are facing shortage of the human cadaver for medical studies in the country and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Union Government has requested the Ministry of Home Affairs and the State/UT Governments to instruct the concerned authorities for providing the unclaimed dead bodies to the medical colleges for academic and teaching purposes; and

(c) if so, the details thereof along with the response of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the State/UT Governments thereto?

THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI GHULAM NABI AZAD)

(a): There is no such centralized data maintained regarding shortage of human dead bodies for medical education in the country. The unclaimed human dead bodies are deposited with the institutions having body donation banks from where the medical colleges receive dead bodies for academic purposes and teaching requirement.

(b): Union Government has taken up this matter with the Ministry of Home Affairs and also written to all State /UT Governments to take up matter with concerned authorities for providing unclaimed dead bodies for academic & teaching purposes to the medical colleges/ institutions.

(c): No specific response has been received from the Ministry of Home Affairs. However, the State Governments of Karnataka and Kerala have issued instructions in this regard.