News / National
Zimbabwe has only 8 registered pathologists
20 Nov 2011 at 17:11hrs | Views
Legal experts have expressed concern over the small number of pathologists in the country, saying their scarcity negatively affects the country's justice delivery system. Information at hand shows that the country has eight registered pathologists and only one foreign national is engaged to deal with the issue of body remains.
The skeletal remains that were found at the Harare Agricultural Showgrounds have exposed deficiencies, as it has emerged that it took more than four days for the police department to make logistical arrangements for the remains of the suspected Matapure child to go under the microscope.
A number of legal practitioners, who spoke to reporters, said the issue of pathologists is worrying as justice is delayed while people are looking for an expert.
Legal expert, Mr Fortune Chasi said the shortage of pathologists is likely to make investigations difficult, as the longer it takes for tests to be done the more likely that the results will be faulty.
The state broadcaster said it is reliably informed that the country has just eight registered pathologists and only one foreign national is engaged by the government to deal with the issue of body remains such as bones.
Efforts to get a comment from the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare to clarity on the issue were fruitless as the acting Permanent Secretary in the ministry was said to be in a series of meetings and could not assist this news crew.
The skeletal remains that were found at the Harare Agricultural Showgrounds have exposed deficiencies, as it has emerged that it took more than four days for the police department to make logistical arrangements for the remains of the suspected Matapure child to go under the microscope.
A number of legal practitioners, who spoke to reporters, said the issue of pathologists is worrying as justice is delayed while people are looking for an expert.
Legal expert, Mr Fortune Chasi said the shortage of pathologists is likely to make investigations difficult, as the longer it takes for tests to be done the more likely that the results will be faulty.
The state broadcaster said it is reliably informed that the country has just eight registered pathologists and only one foreign national is engaged by the government to deal with the issue of body remains such as bones.
Efforts to get a comment from the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare to clarity on the issue were fruitless as the acting Permanent Secretary in the ministry was said to be in a series of meetings and could not assist this news crew.
Source - zbc
