Using cadavers to teach medical students is a humanistic approach as it educates them to be caring and humane, instead of having them performing operations just for the sake of doing their job.PUTRAJAYA: More than 400 Malaysians want to donate their bodies to science for medical teaching and research, with 77 given the nod.

Muslims, however, will have to wait a while as the Fatwa Committee of the National Council of Islamic Affair s is studying whether this is allowed in the religion.

 

The body donation programme, codenamed Silent Mentor, has seen tremendous support since its introduction in March.

The programme is spearheaded by the Minimally Invasive Laparo-Endoscopic Surgery (Miles) Training Centre, which is under University Malaya Medical Centre’s (UMMC) Department of Surgery. Miles’ goal is to use cadavers to teach medical students.

Miles director Prof Dr Chin Kin Fah said the bodies served as "silent mentors" as students honed their surgical skills through simulated surgeries.

"It is a humanistic approach to teaching medical students. Our students need to learn how to care and be humane, instead of performing operations just for the sake of doing their job.

"Our wish is to see  students not only be the best surgeons but also show concern for their patients."

Dr  Chin said the programme was the core of the teaching curriculum. It was adopted from Tzu Chi University, Taiwan,  where he had witnessed students doing their research on cadavers.

Those who are 18 and above can pledge their bodies, but Miles will accept them only if the cadavers are certified by the Health Disease Control Department to be free of  infectious diseases, and death not caused by drowning or suicide.

Dr Chin said there was also a consent process by Miles.

"Once people pledge to donate their bodies, meetings will be arranged with them and their family members (parents, spouse and children) to familiarise themselves with the programme.

"The consent will be given only if family members agree to  the pledge by prospective donors.

"Other than the donor, two trustees and one witness are required to be present."

He said there were  Muslims who were interested in the programme, but they were turned down.

"Muslims will need to seek consent from the Fatwa Committee."

Fatwa Committee chairman Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Abdul Shukor Husin said it was studying whether pledging  cadavers for research and education was allowed in Islam.

Malaysia saw its first pair of donated cadavers for the programme in July.

The donors were cancer patients Lim Kian, 67, and Low Siew Yeok, 47.

 

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