Government Proposal to Not Conduct Autopsies in Cases of COVID-19 Deaths

The government proposes that autopsies not be conducted in cases of death resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic in Armenia.

During an extraordinary session of the National Assembly discussing amendments to the law on "Medical Assistance and Services to the Population," Main Speaker Minister of Justice Rustam Badasyan stated that the organizations providing pathological anatomy services in Armenia do not have the conditions necessary to perform autopsies for individuals who died from the virus. Additionally, they do not meet the international requirements stipulated for such procedures.

"Considering that the level of infectiousness of the disease is not yet fully understood, which could lead to irreversible consequences regarding the spread of the infection due to autopsies, and since the duration of the virus’s viability in the deceased body's remains is also not clarified, it is necessary to refrain from conducting autopsies in cases of death caused by COVID-19 according to medical documentation," the minister said.