AIIMS will give real shape to even mutilated dead bodies, they will be handed over to the family with dignity, plan to build a national mortuary.

Last Updated:November 28, 2025, 19:03 IST

AIIMS restore mutilated body with dignity: Many times, during major accidents, when people die, the body gets mutilated. In these circumstances, sometimes some bodies become so mutilated that identification becomes difficult. But now the All India Institute of Medical Sciences has made a plan to bring these dead bodies in a respectable condition and hand them over to the family. In this the dead bodies will be brought in good condition.

AIIMS will hand over dead bodies in respectable condition.

AIIMS restore mutilated body with dignity: Irrespective of any kind of accident, the mutilated body of the deceased will not be handed over to the family in this condition. These bodies will be reconstructed in a respectable manner and will be handed over to the family with dignity. All India Institute of Medical Sciences has taken this initiative. AIIMS has already been reconstructing some mutilated bodies through plastic surgery. Now the dead bodies of civilians killed in such accidents will also be given respect. In the last few years, many such incidents have taken place in which bodies of people get badly mutilated in accidents or blasts. Many times families are unable to even recognize their loved one. Keeping this problem in mind, AIIMS Delhi has prepared a special protocol.

How does body reconstruction happen?

According to Dr. Sudhir Gupta, head of the forensic department of AIIMS, now the effort is to ensure that every dead body is handed over to its family with respect and in an identifiable condition. He said that if a person’s face or body part gets damaged in an accident, then the forensic team tries to bring it back to its original shape by doing surgery. Sometimes it takes up to 14 hours. Embalming and other techniques are used to preserve the dead body for a long time so that when the family returns, they find the body of their loved one in a dignified condition. Sometimes in incidents like blast, different body parts move to different places. Therefore, doctors try to bring all the parts at one place and do DNA matching and after joining the body properly, it is handed over to the family.

Preparation of National Mortuary

Dr. Sudhir Gupta told that in major accidents like plane crash or train accident, many dead bodies come together. Therefore, work is also being done on the plan to build a national mortuary in the country. In such a mortuary, 400-500 dead bodies can be kept safe simultaneously. Such a mortuary already exists in Australia. This type of mortuary will now be built in India. Dr. Sudhir Gupta, Professor of Forensic Department at AIIMS, said that it is very important for doctors to be sensitive. Our forensic unit is working on the concept of handling bodies with dignity and being sensitive to the families. We are also making Safdarjung Hospital, UCMS, Lady Hardinge Medical College and selected hospitals of Delhi Government aware about this. For this, AIIMS has tied up with the International Committee of the Red Cross, Gujarat Forensic Science University and NGO Earth Savior Foundation. The hospital is also working on the concept of virtual autopsy to prevent unnecessary scalpel use on dead bodies during postmortem examination.

Doctors said that we realized that at the time of someone’s death, his family members are already in deep grief. There is no one to help them immediately after postmortem, neither the autopsy surgeon, nor the police officer, nor the hospital administration. What is worse is that the relatives of the deceased are harassed by the brokers. To overcome all these problems, we will try to hand over the dead bodies in better conditions without any hassle. Our aim is to show the family the face of the son, brother and father for the last time with dignity.