6th February 2001
The Secretary General of The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), Mr Yousuf Bhailok today said, “Alder Hey is only a symptom of a deep rooted disease of arrogance that seriously affects our National Health Services today. This horrifying episode of organ-theft by doctors is a logical consequence of unnecessary and routine post-mortems carried out by Hospitals across the country.
The Muslim community is resolutely against random post-mortems ordered on flimsy grounds as it violates the respect and dignity of the deceased. Post-mortems may be carried out only when death occurs in suspicious circumstances.”
The MCB submitted a memorandum on this subject to the Home Office in 1999. It has also had extensive discussions with both the Home Office and the Coroners Society over the issue of post-mortem for the last two years. The MCB urges the government that any new legislation should also outlaw random post-mortem.
Both the Community Affairs Committee and the Health Committee of the MCB have been working very closely with both the Home Office and the Department of Health on the subject of post-mortems and the issue of death certificates.