Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Magnitude, Cause and Manner of Medico-legal Cases in A Tertiary Care Hospital, New Delhi

Abstract

Nature and magnitude of medico-legal cases vary from hospital to hospital and from area to area and from time to time. Analysis of medico-legal cases can give an insight into the behaviours and activities of the people in and around the area. The present study was conducted at SSKH, Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi from 1st January, 2021 till 31st June, 2022 to evaluate the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on the magnitude and nature of medico-legal cases. The number of MLCs were found reduced by 24% in the year 2020 (due to Omicron variant of Covid virus) and reduced further by 54% in the year 2021 (due to deadlier Delta variant of Covid virus) than the year 2019. In the year 2019, daily average of MLCs was 7.07. During the Covid-19 pandemic years 2020 and 2021, the daily average of the MLCs was dropped to 5.34. and 3.19 respectively. During the nation-wide complete lockdown in India from 24th March, 2020 till 14th April, 2020, the daily average of the MLCs had dropped to the minimum i.e. 1.5. Though the magnitude of MLCs reduced to great extent during lockdown days and pandemic years, however, no significant variations were noticed in nature (cause and manner) of medico-legal cases. Homicidal blunt force trauma, accidental road traffic collision and suicidal poisoning remained three major causes of medico-legal cases respectively in the years 2019, 2020 and 2021, almost in same proportions.