It is learnt that the non-functioning morgue at the North Goa District Hospital in Mapusa has reportedly created significant inconvenience for the residents of Bardez, who are now compelled to transport bodies to the more distant Goa Medical College (GMC) in Bambolim. This has sparked widespread concern.Compounding the issue, it is learnt that shockingly the operational cabin in the morgue is fully occupied by unidentified bodies left unclaimed for nearly three years. This is unacceptable. It has deprived many residents of the morgue services they need during times of bereavement.
It must be said when a loved one expires, the family has to undergo a lot of mental trauma. If the dead body cannot be kept in the morgue due to its malfunctioning it adds to the misery. A morgue plays an important role in a hospital. It is used for the storage of human corpses awaiting identification, autopsy and respectful burial, cremation or other methods of disposal.
Corpses have customarily been refrigerated to delay decomposition. Unclaimed dead bodies need to be cremated or handed over for studies and research after a specific time while carrying out all legal formalities. They cannot be kept in the morgue for three years. The mortuary aims to respectfully care for the deceased while facilitating medical examination and handling until final disposal. Hence the significance of a morgue cannot be under-estimated and needs to be fully functional at all times, especially in the government hospital. The dead bodies need to be allowed to “rest in peace”. The issue at the non-functioning morgue at the North Goa District Hospital in Mapusa needs to be looked into on a war footing by the authorities concerned.
