Mortuary workers in state hosps face social stigma, professional discrimination: Study
Times of India | 22 March 2025
123 Kolkata: A study conducted at four govt teaching hospitals in Bengal has revealed underlying discrimination faced by hospital mortuary workers or doms, highlighting an often-overlooked issue in the healthcare sector. The research, published in the prestigious medical journal Lancet, exposes multiple layers of social, professional and psychological challenges these essential workers encounter every day.
The study was carried out by RG Kar Medical College undergraduate medical student Saswata Sen, RG Kar associate professors Rina Das (forensic medicine) and Tapobrata Guha Roy (community medicine) and Bankura Sammilani Medical College professor of forensic medicine Somnath Das.
Their research, conducted over one year, found continuing prevalence of caste-based occupational segregation, with most mortuary workers belonging to Scheduled Castes. This hereditary occupation pattern, the study says, perpetuates social barriers and limits educational and professional advancement opportunities for workers and their families.
These workers report experiencing severe psychological stress due to social stigma, often feeling compelled to hide their occupation from their communities. This internalised stigma often leads to social isolation, difficulty in maintaining relationships and mental health challenges.
Professional challenges and workplace discrimination that doms face include limited employment benefits, low wages, poor working conditions, lack of professional recognition and restricted career advancement opportunities.
The study suggests reclassifying doms as "essential health workers", implementing improved workplace policies and providing them with mental health services. It advocates community-level interventions, including establishing professional support networks, creating awareness through media campaigns, engaging non-profit organisations, and dispelling myths and fears about mortuary work.
While the study was conducted across four hospitals — RG Kar, NRS, Midnapore Medical College and Bankura Sammilani — it underlines that a similar pattern of social and cultural discrimination has been observed worldwide. The doctors who conducted the study pointed out that during Covid, mortuary workers played a crucial role in handling corpses. "The moment I do not recognise their work and treat them in an improper way, it creates a psychological barrier," Das said.