Descrição dos espaços e do protocolo de identificação humana no Serviço de Medicina Legal de Governador Valadares e de Belo Horizonte: o que mudou após a tragédia de Brumadinho?

Abstract

Human identification is a filed procedure aimed at identifying and differentiating individuals based on characteristics inherent to each person, which can be applied in various contexts, including clarifying the circumstances of death in mass disasters. In the Brumadinho disaster, which occurred on January 25, 2019, the rupture of the B-1 dam, owned by Vale S.A., resulted in the death of 272 victims, requiring the full implementation of the human identification protocol. Considering that the spaces and protocol for identification are not well known, their description becomes relevant, especially given that, due to the urgency of providing responses to the families, the protocol was altered. Thus, this descriptive study details the physical structure of the Posto Médico-Legal de Governador Valadares (PML-GV) and the Instituto Médico-Legal Doutor André Roquette in Belo Horizonte (IML-AR de BH) and also addresses the adaptations in the human identification protocol following this disaster, through a flowchart, providing an understanding of the process for dentists and students about their participation. A visit to PML-GV was conducted, including a meeting with the responsible medico-legal expert, and an online meeting with the odontologist from IML-AR de BH. During both visits, photographic records of the spaces were made, and information about the spaces and the identification process was collected. It was noted that there are six main areas in each institution, and it was found that, after the disaster, the protocol was adjusted, prioritizing papiloscopy as the initial identification method. Therefore, it is evident that protocols can be adapted according to the urgency of the situations, and odontologists play a crucial role in integrating with other teams, contributing significantly to the success of the procedure. Keywords: H