THE HARDEST PART OF BEING A FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST
As a forensic pathologist, Datuk Dr Mohd Shah Mahmood has to be objective, impartial and, to a certain extent, emotionallydetached from the subjects lying on cold metal slabs in the mortuary. But, as a human being, it is sometimes hard, especially when ch
THE Forensics Unit at Kuala Lumpur Hospital (KLH) was unusually hectic on the morning of Sept 24 last year. A team of forensic pathologists, led by KLH National Institute of Forensic Medicine director Datuk Dr Mohd Shah Mahmood, had been hunkering over their cold metal autopsy tables since the early hours.
As the last of the 23 charred remains of victims who died in the Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah tahfiz school fire was wheeled in, the post-mortem that had a tragic story behind it was not easy for Dr Shah and his team to perform.
“The memory of it is still vivid in my mind. It was one of the days in my two-decade career that I could never forget.
“As much as the tragedy had shaken the nation, our team was equally affected. But we had no choice but to bury our sadness.
“It is not easy. It has to be that way for us to be focused. We have been trained to be devoid of emotions in carrying out our duties as best as we can,” he said of the 5am fire that razed the religious school, killing 21 pupils and two hostel wardens.
Dr Shah and his team were also responsible for identifying the victims, aged between 6 and 25.
But that was not the hardest part of the job.
“Nothing, not even years of experience, can prepare you when it comes to delivering the worst news to a family.
“That is the hardest part of my job as a forensic pathologist, and it never gets easier.
“The look on their faces as they see the man in scrubs coming out slowly from the autopsy room is always hard to forget.
“I felt a lump in my throat as I began confirming their worst nightmare. At that moment, the thought that crossed my mind was what if the remains I had just examined was my child?
“That thought alone killed me,” said Dr Shah, who has four children and a grandchild.
The Johor-born pathologist’s first autopsy was the high-profile murder of 8-year-old Nurin Jazlin in 2007. That case was another example that ate him from the inside.
“I conducted the autopsy on Nurin, and each time I recall the case, it leaves me with a great sense of loss and regret. It was an unfinished business for me.
“The authorities and everyone involved had done their best to bring justice to the victim,” he said, his voice faltering and expression marking deep anguish.
Dr Shah said he would find peace if the culprit who snuffed out the young girl’s life with such violence was brought to justice.
As a prolific forensic specialist, Dr Shah’s entry into the world of forensic medicine in the early 1990s was rather unintended.
“I was more interested in otorhinolaryngology (ear, nose and throat). But when I was doing my housemanship at HKL in 1985, I felt the need to take a break and try something else.
“So, I applied to join the army and it was there that I met my senior, who was also the country’s first forensic specialist — Dr Abdul Rahman Yusof.
“He encouraged me to try my hand in forensics because the country, at that time, lacked specialists.
“I pursued my forensic studies in Glasgow, Scotland, and returned in 1992 to start my career. I have never looked back since.”
The 1993 Highland Towers would put his skills to the test as he joined other experts to help with the disaster victim identification (DVI) plan in facilitating recovery efforts.
“I was on standby at KLH with a team, while others was sent to the site. It was challenging to retrieve the bodies of victims as they were trapped under the rubble. It slowed down our identification process.
“However, we wanted to do our best to ensure that family members and friends were able to claim their loved ones and give them proper burial.”
Dr Shah, who received his Datukship from Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V in conjunction with the Federal Territories Day recently, has since gone on to lead forensic teams in high-profile cases, ultimately establishing himself as one of the most respected forensic experts in the country.
A call that came in mid-July 2014 had put the 58-year-old doctor, along with 24 others, on a different path of duty — one that had the interest of the nation at its core and, at the same time, test his resolve.
The team was flown to eastern Ukraine to lead a DVI effort that included other international forensic experts.
Unbeknownst to many, Dr Shah was among a handful who risked their lives at the volatile crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 to retrieve the remains of 283 passengers and 15 crew members.
The mission left a big impression on Dr Shah as not only it marked his first international involvement in DVI, but it was also linked to the recovery of the remains of one of his best friends — Mohd Ghafar Abu Bakar — who was the chief steward on the flight.
Recalling the days preceding the tragedy, Dr Shah said he caught up with Ghafar through WhatsApp a few hours before the flight took off.
“Each time one of the remains was brought to the post-mortem table, I made sure that I held myself together in case it was him.
“I was ready to pass Mogab’s (as Ghafar was known to his friends) remains to my colleagues as I was not sure how I would react if I saw him that way.”
However, Ghafar’s remains never landed on his table.
Four years have passed since the incident, which served as a reminder to Dr Shah that life is, indeed, fragile.
“People assume that those working in forensic medicine lack emotion and empathy. But the fact is, at the end of the day, we are only human. At times, cases could leave a lasting impact on us, even after we return home to be with our loved ones.
“When at work, my focus is to complete the job the best I can because what we do could bring justice not only to the dead, but also the living.”
Dr Shah is encouraged by the development of the country’s forensic sector, with many young doctors keen to join the forensic medicine pool.
“We have about 30 forensic specialists. My hope is to see more young and aspiring doctors joining us.”