HYDERABAD: Brand new cold storage units procured for the Osmania Gereral Hospital mortuary have been lying in the open for nearly two weeks now. With monsoon expected next week, the newly-bought cold storage units are certain to lose its purpose once it starts raining.
Five of the units which cost several lakhs of rupees have been wrapped with two layers of plastic sheets: a transparent one and a tarpaulin sheet and kept beside the mortuary walls.
With exposure to heavy rains, there is all possibility for the wear and tera of the plastic sheets giving way for water to enter the units which might damage them. Besides, sources said, there have been several instances of trees getting uprooted during the gales. This, also , can damage these units.
The dire need for more cold storage units was highlighted earlier as the new machines help in preserving more bodies after Post Mortem Examination (PME). Each of the new cold storage units has capacity to preserve six bodies, thus, on the whole preserving 30 bodies.
Currently, there are 10 units (each having capacity to store four bodies) at OGH’s mortuary. However, some of them are not functional.
It may be mentioned here that in December 2017, there were a series of incidents reported, including one where nose, ears and others parts of bodies at the mortuary were allegedly nibbled by rats. Sources said they found rodents inside the cold storage units. While repairs were taken, the need for more storage units was stressed.
OGH superintendent Dr B Nagendar said that a part of the mortuary’s wall has to be brought down to shift the cold storage units inside. “As electric lines run through the wall, it was not brought down this week. But the works will be taken up from Monday and the cold storage units will be shifted before monsoon,” the doctor said.
Renovation of OGH mortuary in a month
When contacted, director of Medical Education Dr K Ramesh Reddy said that a proposal to renovate the mortuary was sent and the project would take off in a month’s time. “We want to build state-of-the-art mortuary,” Dr Ramesh Reddy said.