Formal Body Bequest Program in Nigerian Medical Schools: When Do We Start?

Human body dissection is a prerequisite for the training of health professionals and the conduct of medical research. However, most Nigerian medical schools experience difficulty obtaining an adequate and regular supply of human tissue. Presently, the major source of anatomical material comes from unclaimed bodies collected from hospital mortuaries. However, one sure way to ensure a regular supply of bodies for anatomical dissection is to establish a whole body bequest program among the departments of anatomy in Nigerian medical schools. If such a program were to be supported by an appropriate legislative act of parliament, the supply of acceptable cadavers for anatomical teaching and research would be substantially increased. The author advocates for establishing a whole body bequest program among Nigerian medical schools. Anat Sci Educ 4: 239-242. (C) 2011 American Association of Anatomists.