Mortuary in Kottayam Medical College Hospital awaits resurrection

KOTTAYAM: The mortuary of Kottayam Medical College Hospital is ailing as six of the 12 freezers in it are dysfunctional. It is causing impediments in safely preserving the bodies and rendering the MCH authorities helpless in case new bodies arrive. Adding to the worry and inconvenience is the number of unclaimed bodies which is piling up and taking a major share of the existing freezers of the MCH mortuary. Among the six functional freezers, four are filled with unclaimed bodies. The bodies which reached the mortuary by the middle of December, beginning of January, middle of January and February first week are lying unclaimed taking up a major share of the already spaceless mortuary.

“The bodies coming since December are lying unclaimed at the morgue. We have no idea how to address the situation and where to keep the bodies.  In the case of casualties occurring to patients undergoing treatment at the MCH and those who die in accidents, we are finding it difficult to preserve bodies,” Kottayam MCH RMO Dr R.P. Renjin told this newspaper.   He said that though the MCH authorities have written well in advance demanding repair of the freezers that are lying damaged, the authorities haven’t taken any decision so far to rectify it.

According to sources, due to the absence of space at the MCH mortuary, most often the bodies are abandoned outside the MCH mortuary. Dr Renjin said that taking into consideration the lack of a proper mortuary, they have requested the police to make alternative arrangements by contacting private hospitals. However, nothing has happened so far. According to the norms, a body could be placed in the mortuary for a maximum for three days, and the concerned authorities could stretch it to a few more days on personal risk.

The RMO said that despite persistent requests in writing to take the bodies, the police is not doing it. The police is also not giving the no objection certificate which is mandatory for the hospital to conduct burial despite their requests in writing. Hence the bodies are piling up. This has seriously affected the functioning of the MCH as there are no space to place the bodies of the dead patients, he added.The construction of a new mortuary building is in the process. The new mortuary building which has 32 freezers, (in which 32 bodies could be placed at one time) is only continuing. Though the construction works began one-and- a-half years ago the construction is moving at snails pace making the situation grave.