By Newsbreak Producer Matthew Veeran - Senior forensic pathologist Professor Ryan Blumenthal has highlighted how post-mortem investigations extend beyond courtrooms to play a vital role in public health, crime prevention and saving lives. Delivering his inaugural professorial address, Blumenthal demonstrated how autopsy data can expose societal trends - ranging from shifting post-pandemic suicide patterns to environmental risks like lightning strikes - to help inform national health policies. With South Africa currently relying on fewer than 90 specialist forensic pathologists to handle over 70,000 unnatural deaths each year, he is advocating for the urgent adoption of modernized, streamlined practices and technology to keep the nation's forensic system sustainable...