Occupational Diseases in Mines and Works Act, 1973 (Act No. 78 of 1973)Chapter III : Certificates of fitness, and medical and other examinations34. Duties of medical practitioner in regard to post-mortem examination or service |
| (1) | The director may authorize or in writing direct any medical practitioner in the Republic to perform a post-mortem examination or other post-mortem service under this Act of a nature determined by the director, and a medical practitioner so authorized or directed who has performed a post-mortem examination or other post-mortem service in accordance with such authorization or direction, shall forthwith submit to the director a detailed report on the result of the examination or service performed by him. |
| (2) | A medical practitioner in the Republic who attended a deceased person at the time of or immediately before his death, or has opened the body of a deceased person, and who knows or has reason to believe that such person worked at a mine or works, shall remove the cardio-respiratory organs and any other prescribed organs or parts of the body of the deceased and shall send such organs and parts of the body to the prescribed place or, if no place has been prescribed, to the bureau or to any other place specified by the director, in accordance with the prescribed procedure or, if no procedure has been prescribed, in accordance with such instructions as may be issued by the director. |
| (3) | Notwithstanding anything contained in subsection (1) or (2), a medical practitioner shall not perform a post-mortem examination on any deceased person or remove his cardiorespiratory organs or any other parts of his body, without the consent of his widow (if any) or an adult near relative of the deceased, if the widow or such a relative can readily be consulted. |