PANJIM: The government has directed Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC) and police to ensure that bodies preserved at morgues and unclaimed after 10 days be disposed as per the provisions of the Anatomy Act.
“I have issued directions to GMC and police that henceforth, after every ten days to go ahead with the disposal off the bodies after proper order from the District Magistrate,” Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister Francis D’Souza said.
D’Souza said that as per the Anatomy Act unclaimed bodies have to be disposed off after ten days, with necessary clearance from the district magistrate.
There are nearly 25 unclaimed bodies lying in the morgues at GMC and Hospicio, some for over six months and up to five years. Of these, 20 are at the GMC morgue and the other five at the Hospicio morgue. Five of the bodies are of foreigners – four Russian and one German – at the GMC morgue since 2010. The concerned embassies have failed to provide required NOCs for their claim.
The health minister Monday evening met with GMC Dean Pradeep Naik, Medical Superintendent Sunanda Amonkar, Superintendent of Police (North) Umesh Gaonkar, deputy collector and others.
The meeting was called following a request from South Goa SP Shekhar Prabhudesai to dispose off unclaimed bodies lying at Hospicio.
The minister said bodies involved in medico-legal cases are those of migrant labourers, beggars and foreigners. “These bodies are found either on the road side or pavement. Most being of migrants there is no identification. The unclaimed bodies have to be disposed off on a regular basis as it burdens the morgue. The capacity of the morgue is limited and hence the need to ensure that it is properly utilized,” D’Souza said.
The present capacity of the old GMC morgue is 200. Despite having a new morgue with a capacity of another 200, both the morgues continue to be full with unclaimed bodies.
