Morgue needs rehabilitation

By CLARISSA MOI
THE Port Moresby General Hospital’s morgue facilities need resuscitation and rehabilitation and, in most cases, replacement, the hospital’s director medical services Dr Kone Sobi says.
He told the media yesterday that the facilities were donated nearly 30 years ago by the Japanese International Corporation Agency (Jica) and over the years, they had deteriorated despite the management’s attempts to fix faults.
Dr Sobi said when the facilities were built and installed, they had a capacity for 90, but, with the increase in population over the years, they currently had more than 200 bodies from the National Capital District as well as Central and Gulf.
He noted that due to the Covid-19 situation last year, the hospital ceased some of its services such as post-mortems due to health and safety risks.
“We have two sets of chillers that can cater for 60 bodies (but) at present, only one of the two chillers is functioning,”he said.
“Another one has been broken for couple of months now.
“Attention has been given, contractors have come time and again but they keep breaking down because they are over-used and need replacement. Over the years, through donor partners, we managed to get some containers.”