Luanda – Angola has only 20 medical examiners to assist 35 million inhabitants, informed Thursday in Luanda the director-general of the Forensic Medicine of the Criminal Investigation Service (SIC), Aurélio Ngueve Rodrigues.
According to the source, it is an insufficient number to satisfactorily cover the country, which needs at least 144 medical examiners.
Speaking to ANGOP, Aurélio Ngueve Rodrigues pointed out that out of the 20 forensic pathologists, 17 are national and three are expatriates.
The official stressed that Cuando Cubango, Zaire and Uíge provinces do not have physicians in that speciality, due to the fact that they are supported by the National Board.
As for Luanda, the director said there are only six forensic pathologists, although they are not enough, given the number of cases that arise daily.
According to Aurélio Ngueve Rodrigues, who is also a medical examiner, every day around 150 people contact the forensic services due to physical aggression and sexual abuse.
For Thanatology cases - which is the scientific study of the cause of death - he said the average is 18 cases daily, reaching 35 cases.
He said that several constraints are recorded in the country regarding Forensic Medicine such as the deficit of human resources cadres, adequate infrastructures so that work can be well executed and working conditions matters, among others.
Aurélio Rodrigues stressed that efforts are being undertaken to reverse the situation, but still falls short of what is required for forensic evidence produced by forensic medicine to have the scientific character and consistency that is required.
Regarding training, 11 specialists are being trained in the sectors of forensic pathology, odontology and forensic psychology.
Forensic medicine is a medical and legal specialty that uses technical and scientific knowledge related to medicine to clarify facts of legal interest.
