BHUBANESWAR: In a novel initiative that seeks to accord dignity to victims of mass fatality incidents, the Odisha government has procured 12 refrigerated mobile morgues to preserve bodies until they are shifted to hospitals.
The morgues can be deployed during road, rail, industrial and drowning accidents as well as natural calamities. The Odisha Fire and Emergency Service which procured the morgues issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) to ensure the victims’ bodies are handled with necessary care and sensitivity. The SOP comes into effect on April 1.
The tragic triple train accident in Balasore district’s Bahanaga on June 2, 2023 had necessitated that a more humane approach is adopted for preservation of the victims’ bodies.
Two mobile morgues with capacity to preserve 36 bodies each and another 10 which can store 10 bodies each have been procured so that they can be immediately engaged during natural or accidental disasters.
The mobile morgues mounted on Odisha Fire Service trucks can preserve bodies up to minus 5 degree Celsius and will be placed in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack (including Naraj), Balasore, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Bhawanipatna, Koraput, Berhampur and Angul.
As part of the SOP, the mobile morgues have been deployed to treat dead bodies with respect and ensure they are handled in a way that upholds the deceased’s rights. The SOP mandates fire personnel to use stretcher bags and white linen clothes to keep the bodies and cover them.
To handle the bodies in a respectful manner and to protect the dignity of the deceased as well as their family members, the rescuers have also been directed to wear personal protective equipment like gloves, masks and clothing, read the SOP issued by DG, Fire Services Sudhansu Sarangi.
During the Bahanaga accident, rescuers had faced difficulty in preserving and shifting the dead bodies. One of the deadliest railway crashes, it had claimed lives of 296 passengers. Many bodies had to be kept in refrigerated condition for identification purposes for close to four months.
The mobile morgues, however, are not usual dead body carriers and will be used only in case of incidents with high fatalities. It has been decided to ensure there is a stock of these equipment in all fire stations as well as with the strike force.
“All the fire personnel are directed to comply with the SOP in letter and spirit. It is a solemn responsibility that you undertake on behalf of the state government and your conduct will reflect on the authorities in general,” the SOP said.
