Mortuary Visit

Hmmm today is an interesting day went to the mortuary at Health Science Authority (HSA) at SGH. We were greeted by a very solemn and grave atmosphere; kins of the deceased were spotted weeping and some giving consolation despite tears welling up in their eyes. Of course I also see some divisional investigators queue up, pending status of coroner's inquiry whether to do an autposy to those who died of unnatural death. It was still drizzling lightly and i started to get qualms about this visit.

Shortly after some briefing, we were brought into the viewing gallery. 5 bodies were lined up on those stainless steel trolleys. It was quite a disturbing sight. We were told that one of the body belonged to a 70+ old lady who died in a traffic accident. We were also told that the mortuarists (people who cut up the dead bodies or whatever you call them to be) are the best in the world. During the tsunami incident in Thailand, our mortuarists were dispatched to do autopsy examination on some of the dead bodies. It was said that by the time our mortuarists finished cutting up the 4th body, the US experts are still doing their first while the Aust counterparts ar still contemplating which part to start the incision. LOL. The most funny thing is that these so called experts asked our mortuarists which Uni they graduated from b'cause they were so amazed up their skills and technique of cutting. Quite surprisingly most of our mortuarists barely completed their primary school education, let alone to say university studies. The experts were taken back. @@ LOL.

Anyway hats off to these unsung warriors. Not many could stand the stench and the mental pressure to work in this environment. Certainly not me!! So off they went to "disect" the dead bodies. First they did and incision from the ear to the other ear across the back of the head, then the skin of the head was peeled off (quite amazingly seemed like a rubber mask) Then an electric rotor blade was used to cut open the skull and the brain was taken out. The body was then cut up from the thoat all the way to the pelvic bone. Internal organs were extracted after the rib cage was cut away. (Ok at this point i was feeling abit dizzy and looked away)

Then after that individual organs were examined for signs of clotting, bruising on the exterior before they were sliced up thinly to scrutinise the interior. After recording down all the signs, the parts were disposed off. It was more like a biological lesson where the pathologist was explaining every part of the human body to us from the function of the organ to the interior composition. It was not as gross as i thought. Someone reminded me that treat them as dead objects and don't keep thinking them as human bodies. That somehow did the trick..i did not feel as grosteque as the moment i stepped into the viewing gallery. The glass viewing gallery did so much to prevent us in direct contact with the stench and i think i really appreciate it alot with the air-con ventilation. I can't imagine myself stepping inside of the examination room with the protective overall and the facial mask...i think they can't do much to "stop" the stench from reaching my nostrils.

Anyway after the mortuary visit, went over to the HSA forensics lab. Now this is much more interesting. It is almost similar to those forensics lab seen in CSI. Pretty cool the forensics lab consists of the DNA testing lab, the document tracing lab (trace to determine whether 2 signatures are similar) and criministics lab (evidence reconstruction). Each played major roles in reconstructing the crime scenes in major incidents such as arson, murder and rape.

It was really an eye-opening experience for me, almost came close to a hair raising one. Plenty of thoughts for me to bring back....quite disturbing as well.