23rd July 2015

Mortuary awaits inauguration

Six bodies of the workers who were killed in a road accident on Wednesday night were kept in the cramped old mortuary room at the Government Hospital here after post-mortem, even as a new spacious mortuary building with cold storage facility remained locked, awaiting formal inauguration.

The State government has spent Rs. 68 lakh on the new building where 12 bodies can be preserved after post-mortem.

“The proposal for the new facility was sent to the authorities after the worst-ever fire accident at Om Muruga Fireworks occurred at Muthalipatti near here in which 38 persons were killed on September 5, 2012,” an official in the Health Department said.

This was necessitated as the small building of the old mortuary in the GH here could not be used to carry out post-mortem on so many bodies. Many bodies were taken to other Government Hospitals in the district, the official said.

The proposal included cold storage facility to preserve the bodies as relatives of the victims of accidents in fireworks units often refuse to take the bodies in protest.

The new mortuary with all electrical facilities, separate room for doctors and police personnel was handed over to the hospital authorities at least two weeks ago, the official said. However, it was among few other medical facilities to be formally inaugurated soon hence could not be used on Wednesday.

“The new mortuary could have been used to preserve the bodies. But, the officials did not do that stating that it was not formally inaugurated,” CPI (M) Sivakasi Union secretary N. Muthuraja said.