Bhadrak: The only morgue in Bhadrak district headquarters hospital (DHH) here is in a dilapidated state since the past 16 years, thanks to the neglect of the medical authorities.
What is worse is that the mortuary’s freezer machine is out of order forcing the employees there to leave the bodies kept out to rot and be fodder for rodents and other animals.
As a result, the entire area around the Bhadark DHH is filled with foul smell of corpses.
According to reports, the machine provided by the Odisha Health System Development Project (OHSDP) provided the Bhadrak morgue with a freezer machine way back in 2002.
However, it was damaged in a fire even before it could be installed.
Since then, the freezer, costing over Rs 10 lakh, has been left to rot with no initiative to repair the machine or get a replacement. When contacted, authorities at the hospital claimed that they have taken up the issue with the Health Department several times, but to no avail.
As the machine is lying defunct, the scope for keeping unclaimed bodies at the morgue for few days until someone claims them is nil. Consequently, such bodies are cremated within a day or two after post-mortem to avoid decomposition and foul smell.
This causes problems for investigating police officers as the bodies cannot be preserved for the required length of period. Therefore, it is not surprising that several death cases in the region remain unresolved. Moreover, a senior advocate Gadadhar Bal raised doubts about the authenticity of the post-mortem reports from the DHH.
He alleges that doctors find it hard to carry out the post-mortem when bodies are already decomposed.
Currently, post-mortem facility is available at three places in this district. Apart from the DHH, Chandbali and Dhamnagar community health centers (CHCs) have this facility.
But the DHH assumes importance as it receives more than 700 bodies a year, and unclaimed bodies account for 50 percent of the total.
Incidentally, the National Highway-16 passes through the district headquarters. As result road accident cases are relatively more here compared to the other two places where autopsy facilities are available.
The condition of the morgue remains in a dilapidated condition due to lack of maintenance.
When contacted, Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) Dr Muhmmad Abdul Rasid said his predecessors have already taken up the matter with the Health Department, but nothing has been done so far.
However, district Collector and chairman, District Health Mission Jnana Ranjan Das said steps would be taken soon to repair the freezer machine.
PNN