There’s not enough room for the dead

There’s not enough room for the dead

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Feb 18, 2015: Uma from Bantwal taluk who died two months ago shares a cold, constricted rack with an unidentified body in the mortuary of the government-run Wenlock Hospital.

Uma’s case is not an isolated one. There is always a shortage of space in the mortuary. The cold storage, with a capacity of 12, has 24 bodies now. Three bodies are of persons who died 45 days ago.

Technicians at the mortuary say they are left with no option but to keep two bodies in one rack. Doctors say the hospital needs more freezer cabinets to accommodate unidentified bodies. The mortuary was upgraded in December 2014. It has three cold storage units with four trays each. Only body is supposed to be kept in a tray -- a norm that is always followed in breach.

Sources say lack of coordination between the hospital, police and the city corporation has led to the space crunch in the mortuary. Unidentified bodies are shifted to the hospital morgue. In addition, the mortuary also has to accommodate the bodies of patients whose relatives do not turn up to receive them.

Vanaja’s case is an example. The woman, from Bantwal taluk, died in Wenlock Hospital. Her body was shifted to the morgue, where it now lies as an "unidentified" one because her relatives could not be traced, said a hospital employee who works in the mortuary.

The hospital, which disposed of 110 unidentified bodies in 2014, has asked the government to increase the number of cold storage units in the mortuary. Minister for health and family welfare U T Khader told TOI: "I will hold a discussion with the Wenlock Hospital authorities to resolve the issue. Moreover, I will also talk to police to expedite the process of identifying relatives of the dead." 

Courtesy: TOI