Nigeria: The document entitled "Lagos State Government - Medical Certificate of Cause of Death," including a sample; issuing authority and process for obtaining the document; whether a hospital stamps the document when issued (2013)
In 16 December 2013 correspondence with the Research Directorate, a representative of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, who provided information under the instruction of the Commissioner of Health for Lagos State, provided a sample of a medical certificate of cause of death from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, which is attached to this Response. The Lagos State Ministry of Health representative also provided the information in the four paragraphs below.
Medical certificates of cause of death that are issued by Lagos State government hospitals and other issuing authorities look the same. The only variation is that the name and address of the hospital or other issuing authority may be printed at the top of the certificate. The issuing authority is the health facility where a patient has died or is brought in dead, or, for cases requiring a coroner, the health facility in which an autopsy is conducted.
The process for obtaining a medical certificate of cause of death varies. If a patient's death occurs after they have been admitted to a health facility for 24 hours, the medical doctor who certifies the death issues the certificate on behalf of the health facility. For all coroners' cases, including patients that died within 24 hours of being admitted to a health facility, patients brought in dead, and any other death that has been designated as a coroner's case, an autopsy would be conducted. In this case, the pathologist who conducts the autopsy issues the death certificate on behalf of the Morbid Anatomy Department of the health facility where the autopsy was conducted. There are two such health facilities under the Lagos State government: the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja; and the Mainland Hospital, Yaba. However, the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), which is a federal government health facility, also conducts autopsies and issues medical certificates of cause of death.
The medical certificate of cause of death is signed by the certifying medical doctor or, for coroner's cases, a pathologist who conducts the autopsy. Medical certificates of cause of death are stamped by the health facility.
Usually, two copies of the medical certificate of cause of death are produced. One copy is issued to the patient's family, and the other is retained by the health facility.
Corroboration for the information provided by the Lagos State Ministry of Health representative could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.
Amnesty International (AI) indicates that there are "a number" of centres which hold bodies before autopsies in Lagos, including: the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Mainland Hospital, and Lagos Island General Hospital (Feb. 2013). Further or corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Amnesty International (AI). February 2013. Nigeria: No Justice for the Dead. <http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/AFR44/001/2013/en/e68e4dde-5f81-419e-9d3a-443e0f2146e5/afr440012013en.pdf> [Accessed 18 Dec. 2013]
Lagos State. 16 December 2013. Ministry of Health. Correspondence from a representative sent to the Research Directorate.
Additional Sources Consulted
Oral sources: Attempts to contact the following individuals and organizations were unsuccessful within the time constraints of this Response: Doctors – eight at General Hospitals in Lagos State; Lagos State – Lagos State Government, Ministry of Health; Lagos State University – College of Medicine, Health Center, Health Center Lab, Health Services, Medical Library; Nigeria – Federal Ministry of Health, Lagos University Teaching Hospital.
Internet sites, including: Access to Justice; AllAfrica; ecoi.net; Factiva; Human Rights Watch; Lagos State – Lagos State Government, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ministry of Health; National Mirror; Nigeria – Federal Ministry of Health, Lagos University Teaching Hospital; P.M. News; The Punch; This Day; United Nations – Refworld; United States – Department of State; Vanguard.
Attachment
Lagos State. 16 December 2013. Ministry of Health. "Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja. Medical Certificate of Cause of Death." Sent by a representative to the Research Directorate.