RIMS gets new virtopsy centre, cold room
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, July 14 2025: Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal, marked a significant advancement in forensic investigation with the inauguration of a state-of-the-art Virtopsy Centre and Cold Room on Monday.

According to a press release from RIMS Media Cell, the facilities were inaugurated by RIMS director Prof G Sunil Kumar Sharma in the presence of medical superintendent Prof N Sanjib Singh and Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology head Prof Th Meera Devi.

In his address, Prof G Sunil emphasised that the inauguration of the Virtual Autopsy Unit and the 40-body Cold Storage Facility marks a major milestone in forensic medicine in the region.

"RIMS is now the third institute in India after AIIMS, New Delhi and NEIGRIMS, Shillong to house a Virtopsy Centre equipped with a 32-slice CT scanner, enabling non-invasive and digitally preserved post-mortems or virtual post mortems," he said.

The director mentioned that this technology enhances accuracy in cases such as road traffic accidents and bullet injuries, while also supporting research and ensuring legal admissibility.

Additional infrastructure upgrades include a family waiting area, rooms for investigating officers, and plans for multi-faith prayer spaces.

Looking ahead, RIMS aims to establish histopathology and toxicology labs, an Eye Bank, an IVF Centre, and a Robotic Surgery Unit, further reinforcing its vision of medical excellence, he conveyed.

Meanwhile, the newly inaugurated cold room will have the capacity to store around 40-50 bodies so as to assist during investigations and disasters.

The old cold room had the capacity to store only six bodies, he informed.

The event was attended by Imphal West SP Ksh Shivakanta Singh, deputy director (Admin), dean (Academics), principals of College of Nursing and Dental College, heads of Departments, nursing officers, faculty members, and staff of RIMS.

According to sources, Virtopsy, a portmanteau of 'virtual' and 'autopsy', refers to the use of advanced imaging techniques, like CT and MRI scans, to examine a deceased body without invasive procedures.

It's a non-invasive approach that provides a detailed, three-dimensional view of the body's internal structures, aiding in determining the cause of death and other forensic investigations.

Virtopsy avoids the traditional incisions of a standard autopsy, preserving the body for religious, cultural, or identification purposes, utilises technologies like Postmortem Computed Tomography (PMCT) and Postmortem Magnetic Resonance Imaging (PMMR) to visualise internal organs and structures, and is considered valuable in forensic pathology, helping to identify injuries, fractures, and other evidence related to the cause and manner of death.

Virtopsy can be quicker, less stigmatising, and provide more detailed records than traditional autopsies, especially in cases where the body is decomposed, burned, or restricted by religious beliefs, explained the sources.

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