Connecticut’s chief medical examiner is asking state lawmakers to find the funding for two additional staff members to help catch up with the backlog of cases his office is facing.
Adding to the caseload is the rising number of overdose deaths in the state. Gill says there were 917 fatal overdoses in 2016. The number has risen every year over the past five years.
Earlier this year, the National Association of Medical Examiners downgraded the accreditation of the medical examiner’s office. The downgrade was based partially on the high number of autopsies and the insufficient number of medical examiners.
The chief medical examiner’s office will lose its full accreditation in September if its deficiencies are not addressed.
