All you need to know about postmortems in Kenya

12 April 2022

• According to Chiromo funeral Parlor Autopsies are charged a Ksh 3,000. Any professional fees are charged separately.

An autopsy (also known as a post-mortem examination or necropsy) is the examination of the body of a dead person and is performed primarily to determine the cause of death, to identify or characterize the extent of disease states that the person may have had, or to determine whether a particular medical or surgical treatment has been effective.

Autopsies are performed by pathologists and medical doctors who have received speciality training in the diagnosis of diseases by the examination of body fluids and tissues.

In academic institutions, autopsies sometimes are also requested for teaching and research purposes.

Forensic autopsies have legal implications and are performed to determine if death was an accident, homicide, suicide, or a natural event.

What happens during a post-mortem is, that it will be carried out as soon as possible, usually within 2 to 3 working days of a person's death. In some cases, it may be possible for it to take place within 24 hours.

Payment or guarantee of payment for the post mortem is usually required before it is carried out and these costs often fall to the family or next of kin.

According to Chiromo funeral Parlor Autopsies are charged a Ksh 3,000. Any professional fees are charged separately.

For the Kenyatta University Funeral Home, you have to hire your own pathologist and then negotiate the postmortem fee with the pathologist without KUFH involvement. However, you can use their f Postmortem Theatre at a fee of Ksh 7,000/=

Why do families request autopsies?

If the cause of the death is totally unknown the respective clinical officer will not hand out a death notification letter unless the cause is established.

In fact, a death notification letter is key in ensuring the acquisition of the death certificate.

When death strikes suddenly without any record of an illness.

If the family wishes to know more about what would have caused the death to occur.

After the procedure is done the pathologist is required to forward a report on the findings of the autopsy.

From then other funeral processions may continue effectively.