Alert out for body ‘thieves’

 By DOROTHY MARK

THE Modilon hospital will now be more alert with people claiming bodies from the hospital’s morgue following attempts by relatives to “steal” a body last Friday, the hospital said.  

Modilon’s mortuary officer Mark Makili said two men from Raicoast who had a dispute with other relatives of the deceased, were trying to take a body home but left it inside the morgue’s dressing room and fled when their rivals arrived.

The deceased was identified as Tamsen Sansan  of mixed Aitape in West Sepik and Raicoast decent.

Makili said the two Raicoast relatives left the body and escaped when the deceased’s Aitape relatives arrived at the morgue.

The Aitape relatives then reported the matter at Jomba police station. 

Makili said relatives having disputes over bodies should not go to the morgue police officers to prove and assure the mortuary officer that no problem would arise later.

“I ask the relatives to sort their problems outside before coming to claim their bodies because I won’t release the bodies if they have disputes,” he said.

Makili said the hospital had paid K32,000 to relatives of a dead man some years ago and was now very careful on who got bodies from the morgue.