A submission to recruit a resident forensic pathologist in Samoa will be made again to the Cabinet by the Samoa Police, Prisons, and Corrections Services (S.P.P.C.S.).

Deputy Police Commissioner Papalii Monalisa Tiai-Keti confirmed to Samoa Observer on Tuesday that a submission was made earlier this year but it was returned by the Cabinet.

“We have met and have had further consultations on the submission. For now, we are waiting for the Public Service Commission to put in the financial aspect of the submission before we can submit it to the Cabinet again,” she said. “For now we are relying on the Fiji Police Force for their assistance.”

Autopsies in Samoa are being done by a forensic pathologist from Fiji who flies over when there is a need. This practice has led to bodies piling up in the mortuary and families having to wait months before they can bury their loved ones.

The delay in doing autopsies has also affected criminal cases before the courts.  These are reasons, why Papalii is keeping her fingers crossed that Samoa gets their own forensic pathologist.

“We hope that the submission will be endorsed by Cabinet soon and Ministry to commence with advertising externally given that Samoa does not have a forensic pathologist,” she said.

Currently, there are no bodies awaiting autopsies in the mortuary as the Fijian forensic pathologist was in the country last week to do the post-mortem examinations.

Papalli confirmed that among the deceased was the 4-month-old baby who allegedly died after being vaccinated for measles and added that the coroner would reveal the cause of death after an investigation was ordered.

The autopsies last week also included the body of a man found behind the Savalalo fish market in April, the 4-month-old baby, the body of a 6-year-old child who died in a car incident in March, and a 42-year-old man whose body was found at Leulumoega.

"The issue was referred to our ministry last week (last week of April) and we looked into the matter," Police Commissioner Auapa'au Logoitino Filipo told the Samoa Observer earlier this month. "From our investigation, it is alleged that the infant was taken to the hospital on the same day to get vaccinated.

"I don't know what kind of vaccine the baby received that day but I can say that the coroner was not satisfied with the preliminary report on the cause of death and has ordered a post-mortem to be conducted."