Modilon hospital morgue packed

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Thursday 30th May 2013

 THE Modilon Hospital in Madang has unclaimed dead bodies in its morgue which needed urgent bu­rial.

Director for corporate services Albert Sika said the hospital morgue was receiving between 10 and 15 bodies every week and this was adding to the congestion at the mortuary.

The hospital’s efforts to get a coroner to effect a warrant for a public burial had been hindered by relatives of the deceased who said they would come and take the bodies for burial.

Sika said the bodies were being kept in a container because the hospital morgue’s compressor was not working properly.

The hospital engaged three different contractors to fix the problem and new compressor parts were purchased for K120,000 but the problem was still there.

“We need a new morgue and submissions have been made to the Health Department and we should get a positive response next month,” Sika said.

He said that the submission made was for a new morgue costing K200,000.

“It is very difficult to tell the people not to die. Many people die from accidents, domestic violence, tribal fights or mob attacks,” Sika said.

He urged people to take care when travelling on the road and not to attack one another as they were contributing to more deaths.