South Goa District Hospital Mortuary Overwhelmed for Six Weeks
The South Goa district hospital has issued an urgent plea to police authorities, revealing that its mortuary has been operating at full capacity for the past six weeks. The hospital administration has formally requested immediate disposal of bodies to prevent a critical public health situation.
Municipal Inaction Creates Morgue Crisis
The crisis has escalated because the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) has not conducted a single cremation of unclaimed bodies for an entire month. Hospital officials attribute this paralysis to funding shortages within the municipal administration.
In a detailed letter addressed to the South Goa Superintendent of Police and Konkan Railways SP, with a copy to the South Goa collector, the hospital administration outlined the severity of the situation. The correspondence, authored by Dr. Madhu Ghodkirekar, head of forensic medicine at the hospital, emphasized that during Holy Week, the facility typically reserves at least fifteen cabinets for anticipated needs.
"Unfortunately, this time our mortuary is 'house full' for the past six weeks as Margao Municipality has stopped arranging for the cremation of unclaimed dead bodies for want of funds," stated the hospital in its official communication.
Immediate Consequences During Holy Week
The hospital has warned that if no action is taken within the next twenty-four hours, significant public inconvenience will occur. This is particularly critical for the Christian community, as funerals are traditionally not conducted from Maundy Thursday through Easter Sunday.
Dr. Ghodkirekar explained to media outlets that the crunch will become acutely felt starting Wednesday. "When any members of the Catholic community pass away, their funerals won't be carried out from Maundy Thursday till Easter Sunday," he noted, highlighting the timing sensitivity of the issue.
Current Morgue Statistics and Maintenance Issues
The hospital's morgue currently houses eighteen unclaimed bodies that the MMC is responsible for disposing of. Additionally, twelve cabinets are non-operational and require maintenance, further reducing available capacity.
Dr. Rajendra Borkar, the hospital's medical superintendent, clarified that the morgue has a daily requirement of fifteen cabinets to function normally. "We have already conducted post-mortem examinations on the bodies, but these have been left at the morgue for the past month and a half," he stated.
Dr. Borkar confirmed that repeated requests have been made to the Margao municipality to conduct final rites and vacate the cabinets, but no action has been taken.
Broader Systemic Issues and Financial Paradox
Dr. Ghodkirekar pointed to deeper systemic problems, noting that while elected representatives have offered to cover costs temporarily, this does not provide a permanent solution. "The municipality should have its own budget and workers for disposal of cadavers," he insisted.
He highlighted a striking financial paradox: "Government is ready to pay Rs 4.5 lakh for the treatment of a person with cancer, but nobody is ready to pay Rs 3,600 to carry out final rites. There should be dignity in death too."
Municipal and Government Responses
Margao municipality chief officer Madhu Narvekar stated that the municipality has written to the additional collector, with multiple reminders, requesting release of payments for these services.
An official from the collectorate provided clarification, explaining that the health department has not established a budget allocation at their level specifically for body disposal by the municipality. Despite this bureaucratic hurdle, the official indicated that the municipality plans to begin disposing of the bodies starting Wednesday.
The situation remains tense as hospital authorities await concrete action to resolve the mortuary overflow before it disrupts essential services during the upcoming religious observances.
