No freezer facility in Sathankulam GH, bodies face decomposition risk
THOOTHUKUDI: The mortuary at the Sathankulam Government Hospital, offering secondary healthcare services to residents of over 100 nearby villages, allegedly lacks a cold room or refrigeration units for preservation, occasionally leading to accelerated decomposition of unexamined corpses. Several relatives of accident victims have alleged that they had to shell out money to rent freezer boxes, even then, power deficiency caused by undervoltage has been a constant hassle.
According to sources, the bodies of accident victims are sent to the Sathankulam government hospital for autopsy, and the corpses received after 6 pm are kept at the mortuary until the next morning. Advocate M Jesu Gopi claimed that putrid stench shrouds the spot as corpses are not properly preserved, leading to early decomposition. The situation is far worse if the bodies had injuries, he added.
An individual, who arrived at the mortuary to receive the body of his kin who had died by suicide, said the relatives provided the freezer box as the mortuary did not have a facility for preservation.
On top of that, as there were issues with power supply, we arranged for a power connection from the nearby police quarters, he said. Also, the pathway to the mortuary is densely covered with seemai karuvelam, which needs to be removed, he added.
Official sources said the mortuary has a power connection with a basic tariff, which is inadequate for powering refrigeration units that require higher voltage.
Whenever an autopsy is delayed due to police procedures, the corpse would be shifted to Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital or Tiruchendur government hospital for preservation, said sources.
In a response to the issue, a senior official told TNIE that the health department had requested the state government to construct a new building for the mortuary, comprising facilities including refrigeration units and a high-voltage power supply, even before the public flagged the issue.
“We requested the Public Works Department (PWD) to provide estimates so the project can be implemented as soon as possible,” he said.