In a giant step towards boosting transparency and efficiency in forensic documentation, Delhi's top hospitals, including AIIMS, will now provide post-mortem and medico-legal findings online. This program is under the Medical Legal E-Reporting (MDL) platform, which the Delhi government introduced last month. According to media reports, the service aims to expedite the previously opaque and time-consuming processes involved in issuing medico-legal autopsy findings. 

According to Dr M. Srinivas, Director of AIIMS, the direction requires post-mortem and medico-legal reports (MLRs) to be uploaded digitally via the MDL site. This decision is part of a larger effort to decrease paperwork, prevent tampering, and provide rapid access to critical forensic documents. AIIMS, one of India's most reputable medical facilities, had yet to embrace this approach. That gap has now been filled with the release of fresh instructions.

Currently, MLRs and PMRs are generally prepared manually, with delays of days or even weeks. This delay not only causes anguish for mourning families awaiting formal closure, but it also impedes timely investigations into unnatural deaths. The transition to an online platform is projected to reduce this wait significantly by improving collaboration between hospitals, police, and the justice system. 

Last year, the Ministry of Home Affairs asked Delhi's Health Department to ensure that all medico-legal and post-mortem findings from three critical hospitals—AIIMS, Safdarjung, and Lady Hardinge—are uploaded to the MDL portal beginning in July 2024. Regardless of the order, execution has been patchy, particularly at AIIMS. This recent directive is intended to accelerate compliance. 

The MDL (Medical Legal and Postmortem Reporting) portal aims to digitise documentation procedures for injuries, deaths, and other legally sensitive medical matters. According to health officials from the Delhi government, the website is used not just to upload reports but also to manage their status, ensure legal acceptability, and improve data security. Most importantly, it reduces the danger of document manipulation, which is a significant problem in criminal investigations. 

Legal authorities and public health professionals have often stated that delays and irregularities in post-mortem reporting jeopardise justice and public trust. "A tamper-proof, time-stamped system is essential in cases where every minute detail can become a matter of life or death in court," says Dr Amit Bansal, a forensic medicine expert associated with a Delhi government hospital. 

Despite the push, some prominent hospitals have struggled to adapt. Doctors cite technological challenges, a lack of training, and a labour shortage as the main factors. On the condition of anonymity, a top official at AIIMS stated, "Digitising this process is a good move, but it can't succeed without proper infrastructure and hands-on training for forensic staff." 

While the digital implementation of MLRs and PMRs offers faster, more transparent medico-legal procedures, its success will be determined by how effectively hospitals such as AIIMS apply the system. With the Delhi government now imposing timelines, the pressure is on institutions to comply—not just for administrative change but also to maintain justice.