Frequency and Pattern of Medico Legal Cases Reported at Sandeman Civil Hospital Quetta Balochistan- One Year Study

Abstract

Introduction: Medicolegal cases are an integral part of medical practice that is frequently encountered by Medical Officers working in casualty department and dealing with Police/Court cases. To prevent the problem of increasing violence and criminal assault result in personal injury or death deserves a detailed examination.

Objective: To present the profile of medicolegal cases reported in the Sandeman Civil Hospital Quetta, a teaching hospital of Bolan Medical College Quetta, a tertiary care health delivery and medicolegal center for the entire city as well as its suburbs, with in the period of one year that is 2009. To highlight the vulnerable gender, age, cause (motive) and type of weapons used with seasonal frequency to assess the trend of the incidences and frequency of crime committed in different area of Quetta Balochistan with comparison to other parts of the country.

Study Design: Retrospective study

Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted in medicolegal section of Sandeman Civil Hospital Quetta, from 1^st January to 31^st December, 2009.

Materials and Methods: 9915 medicolegal cases admitted in medicolegal registers/record by medicolegal officers were included. Cases found non-medicolegal excluded. The variable considered were gender, age, weapon or cause of injury, inhabitant and seasonal variations in medicolegal cases. Findings were expressed in numbers and percentages.

Results: Out of these 9915 medicolegal cases males were 8636 (87.1%) and females 1279 (12.9%).Maximum (33.46%) victims were age group of 20 – 29 years followed by 26.13% victims in age group of 30 – 39 years. Among this sample, the most common type of injury was Assault caused by blunt and hard object 5665 (57.13%) followed by Road traffic accidents 1945(19.61%), firearms 558 (05.62%), Urban inhabitant victims were 6143 (61.96%) and rural 3772 (38.04%). Most of cases occurred in summer than in winter.

Conclusion: Majority of victims were young adult males, urban inhabitants, blunt and hard weapons were commonly employed in this region for assault cases. More trauma care centers with necessary facilities are suggested in remote areas so the burden on main hospital can be decreased and life of trauma patients could be saved. Proper counseling for developing positive attitude and controlling the aggression in youth have to be promoted.