Assessment of medicolegal knowledge among interns of a tertiary care hospital in Imphal, Manipur: A cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT Background: With the coming of the New Criminal Laws 2023, which came into effect on July 1, 2024, major changes and additions in various laws, including medicolegal cases (MLCs), have come into full swing. Awareness of the interns in regard to the new laws and various other medicolegal knowledge, and the updates, is of prior importance in the clinical as well as nonclinical settings in all medical institutes. As an internship is the stage where MLCs are first faced head-on, this study will be conducted among the interns to assess their understanding, applicability, and recent updates of medicolegal knowledge. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the medicolegal knowledge among 164 interns of the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) during May 2025–July 2025. Results: A total of 164 interns were assessed for the adequacy of medicolegal knowledge, and it was found that 58 participants (35.4%) had adequate knowledge with a score of ≥10, that is, ≥50%, and 106 participants (64.6%) had inadequate knowledge with a score of <10, that is, <50%. Out of all the interns, 92 (56.1%) had completed an internship in Forensic Medicine and Toxicology (FMT), and 72 (43.9%) had not yet undergone the compulsory rotatory posting in FMT. Of the total interns, only 34.1% had adequate knowledge about postmortem examination, 50.3% had adequate knowledge about consent in medical practice, 25% were well updated with the medicolegal systems, 28% had good knowledge about medical records, and 30.5% were aware of the Consumer Protection Act. Conclusion: Medical interns of RIMS Imphal, Manipur, India, have inadequate medicolegal knowledge and meticulous training for undergraduates, especially for the interns is of utmost urgency. Addressing the issue of inadequate medicolegal knowledge and its application in medical practice should be dealt with promptly. Decreased confidence in handling MLCs by medical professionals can be countered with increased awareness, workshops, frequent conferences, and discussions.