WESTERN Provincial Government is appealing to the national government through the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) to seriously consider building a proper morgue in Noro and Gizo.
Premier David Gina in an interview with Solomon Star on Wednesday said, there were a number of incidents which warrant the need to have a proper morgue at those big centres in the province.
He said lack of a morgue has seen dead bodies not being properly kept.
“I call on the government through the Ministry of Health to seriously consider building a proper morgue for dead people which is a very big need for the province,” Premier Gina said.
He said the province has a big number of people from different provinces working in Gizo and Noro.
“And the population is growing and increasing every year.
“As one of the growing industrialized province people from all over the country moves to Noro and Gizo to look for jobs,” he said.
He said with the increasing number of people from other provinces and overseas working and living in Noro, it’s important to have a morgue.
He said, a few weeks ago an incident happened involving an Asian logger who died and his body was left overnight at an open space at the community centre in Noro.
On Tuesday morning a man from Malaita was found dead at the Noro seafront. To help identify the deceased, the body was kept overnight at the community centre until he was identified for identification yesterday. The deceased was immediately buried.
Following the two incidents, the premier said, “this doesn’t look properly and respectable.”
He said leaving a dead body out in the open poses health risk.
“Therefore, responsible authorities must help to address this situation,” he said.
Gizo hospital is without a proper morgue after it was destroyed by fire in 2016.
As such, currently, there is still no morgue to keep properly dead bodies.
People who died at Gizo hospital are being immediately transported to their home villages for burial.
BY ULUTAH GINA
GIZO NEWS BUREAU
