Hospital mortuary in terrible state
THE Government plans to build a new and bigger morgue this year at the National Referral Hospital (NRH) in Honiara.
NRH’s chief executive officer Dr Roger Maraka revealed this yesterday in light of increasing public concern about the poor and terrible state of the existing morgue.
“This new morgue will be built next to the existing one,” Dr Maraka said.
“It will be bigger than the current one, with ice storage facility that will accommodate up to nine bodies at a time,” he added.
The existing morgue has ice storage facility that can only hold three bodies at a time.
Dr Maraka said funding for the project will come from the Ministry of Health and Medical Service’s budget this year.
“As soon as the budget is passed, tender and procurement process will start,” he said.
Those who have attended to their dead at the morgue in recent weeks have expressed their concern about the appalling state of the morgue.
“The facility was neglected and left largely to deteriorate,” a woman, who visited the morgue, last week said.
She said it was disheartening to see a place, which should be given some dignity and respect, was given the least of attention by hospital authorities.
The woman said there’s water level up to the ankle, sinks, taps, and bench are filthy with stains.
A visit the Solomon Star made to the morgue yesterday confirmed the terrible state of the facility.
It appeared the room was rarely cleaned and appeared disused although people regularly go in there to attend to their dead.
Morgue assistant Jimmy Douglas told the Solomon Star the water covering the floor of the building came from a nearby sock-hole.
He said the sock-hole usually overflowed during heavy rain, spilling into the morgue.
“In fact, I have to drain out the water almost every day,” he said.
Mr Douglas said when the ice storage facility in the morgue is occupied other bodies would just be kept outside.
By JOY BUAOKA
