❓ Ms. Quirk asks how the McGowan government's investment in a post-mortem CT scanner will reduce Coroner's Court backlogs and alleviate grief for WA families. The Attorney General details how the scanner expedites cause-of-death determination, respects cultural sensitivities, aids disaster response, and enhances court proceedings, alongside additional funding and a new coroner.
AnsweredQoN 513Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
STATE MORTUARY —
CT SCANNER
513. Ms M.M. QUIRK to the Attorney General :
I refer to the responsible financial
management of the McGowan Labor government, which means more resources for our
justice system and more investment for services that support our community. Can
the Attorney General outline to the house how this government's
investment in the state's first post-mortem CT scanner will help reduce
the backlog of cases in the Coroner's Court and help avoid additional
grief for some Western Australian families?
CT SCANNER
513. Ms M.M. QUIRK to the Attorney General :
I refer to the responsible financial
management of the McGowan Labor government, which means more resources for our
justice system and more investment for services that support our community. Can
the Attorney General outline to the house how this government's
investment in the state's first post-mortem CT scanner will help reduce
the backlog of cases in the Coroner's Court and help avoid additional
grief for some Western Australian families?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Girrawheen
for her question. In the Coroner's Court, there were approximately 2 125
cases outstanding as at the end of June 2018. For any death that is sudden and
unexplained, violent and unnatural, or for which the cause is not known, the
doctor has to report it to the coroner. This usually involves a post-mortem
examination and sending samples off to the state laboratory to determine the
cause of death. The families of the deceased are always anxious to find out the
cause of death and for the body to be released so they can undertake a proper
funeral. The acquisition of a CT scanner for the state mortuary means that the
deceased can be passed through it without the necessity for a post-mortem
examination. In many cases, the cause of death can be easily identified; either
a brain embolism or something else that was not apparent on examination of the
body. This will help to clear the backlog. It is also very important for
cultural reasons. We know that Indigenous people do not like the post-mortem
procedure for cultural reasons, along with many other people in our community,
such as followers of the Islamic faith, who want to bury their deceased within
24 hours. With the advent of the CT scanner at the Coroner's Court, the
cause of death can be determined very swiftly. Another advantage is that when
there is a disaster and there are a number of deaths, they can be processed
quite expeditiously.
Finally, I wish to mention the
advantage to the courts and the justice system. I have been down to the
mortuary and have seen the CT scanner results. The scanners can bring up the
body on 3D relief so that really good photographs can be given to a jury to
show exactly what caused the death of the deceased. The purchase of the CT scanner
was a big step forward for this very important jurisdiction. The scanner cost
$1.2 million. Additionally, the McGowan government has been able to provide an
additional $5.5 million to the Coroner's Court and recently appointed a
fifth coroner for the state. With these measures, we hope that families in Western
Australia who have lost a loved one will have their grief brought to a quicker
resolution.
for her question. In the Coroner's Court, there were approximately 2 125
cases outstanding as at the end of June 2018. For any death that is sudden and
unexplained, violent and unnatural, or for which the cause is not known, the
doctor has to report it to the coroner. This usually involves a post-mortem
examination and sending samples off to the state laboratory to determine the
cause of death. The families of the deceased are always anxious to find out the
cause of death and for the body to be released so they can undertake a proper
funeral. The acquisition of a CT scanner for the state mortuary means that the
deceased can be passed through it without the necessity for a post-mortem
examination. In many cases, the cause of death can be easily identified; either
a brain embolism or something else that was not apparent on examination of the
body. This will help to clear the backlog. It is also very important for
cultural reasons. We know that Indigenous people do not like the post-mortem
procedure for cultural reasons, along with many other people in our community,
such as followers of the Islamic faith, who want to bury their deceased within
24 hours. With the advent of the CT scanner at the Coroner's Court, the
cause of death can be determined very swiftly. Another advantage is that when
there is a disaster and there are a number of deaths, they can be processed
quite expeditiously.
Finally, I wish to mention the
advantage to the courts and the justice system. I have been down to the
mortuary and have seen the CT scanner results. The scanners can bring up the
body on 3D relief so that really good photographs can be given to a jury to
show exactly what caused the death of the deceased. The purchase of the CT scanner
was a big step forward for this very important jurisdiction. The scanner cost
$1.2 million. Additionally, the McGowan government has been able to provide an
additional $5.5 million to the Coroner's Court and recently appointed a
fifth coroner for the state. With these measures, we hope that families in Western
Australia who have lost a loved one will have their grief brought to a quicker
resolution.
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