WARANGAL: At the state-run MGM Hospital, the mortuary appears to be now only a source of public nuisance and discomfort.
The hospital’s freezer units, meant to preserve bodies with dignity, have long stopped functioning, ensuring that two to three corpses a day are left to decompose in the open. As a result, the stench wafting from the mortuary is now a familiar feature of the road outside, offering pedestrians and patients alike an unforgettable experience.
MGM Hospital proudly houses the largest mortuary in the North Telangana districts. Unfortunately, that distinction does not extend to its infrastructure. Despite its size, the mortuary remains neglected, with no proper equipment or facilities for autopsies.
For reasons best known to the powers that be, postmortem services are handled not by the hospital itself, but by Kakatiya Medical College (KMC) forensic professors. The division of responsibility seems to work wonders for accountability.
Data accessed by TNIE from forensic staff paints a bleak picture.
The mortuary is equipped (on paper) with two body storage freezer units of five-body capacity, four units of single-body capacity and one unit for three bodies. These freezers should be sufficient for storing 17 bodies, if only they work. Instead, they serve as expensive pieces of furniture, while bodies pile up on stretchers inside the mortuary.
Elected representatives and officials have been generous with promises. After routine inspections, they declared that the hospital will be upgraded, staff will be appointed and equipment will be provided. If the promises are to be believed, funds, it seems, are always just around the corner.
A hospital staffer, on condition of anonymity, confirmed what everyone can already smell: none of the 17 freezer units are functional. “The bodies are just lying on stretchers,” he said, adding that the freezers have been out of order for four months.
When TNIE contacted KMC’s forensic head Ch Lakshman Rao, he said that higher authorities had been informed. He also stated that the higher officials have sought designs and suggestions for the mortuary as part of the upcoming superspeciality hospital. “Construction will be completed in November or December,” he added.
However, those using the road outside may take that statement with a pinch of salt, considering the state of the previous promises.