Now, Churchill launches portable morgue, hearse van

MARGAO, MAY 20
More and more Salcete politicians are now opting for portable morgues for the dead to rest in peace as the ailing mortuary at Hospicio plays truant.
After Tourism Minister, Mickky Pacheco, PWD Minister Churchill Alemao has donated portable morgues and a hearse van in memory of his mother Eslinda Alemao on Thursday.
A total of eight morgues have been donated by the PWD Minister for the people of Goa, of which four will be stationed in Navelim, and two each in Curtorim and Cuncolim.
“These morgues are at the disposal of the people of Goa. Anyone can avail the facility free of cost”, he said.
Alemao said this facility is being arranged as there’s hardly any place to place bodes in the Hospicio mortuary.
“Politicians are being criticized every time there is no space at the Hospicio mortuary.
In the Goa Assembly, we had discussed the matter of unclaimed bodies of outsiders lying in the morgue for months without disposal, but there’s no solution till date”, he said.
In the absence of adequate space at the Hospicio morgue, bodies are often shunted to the Goa Medical College and Hospital(GMC) , he said, adding “this creates hardships to the people whose children are abroad”.
Replying to a question, he said a body can be preserved in the portable morgue for 8.10 days and have the inbuilt mechanism even in case of power failures.
He said a mechanism would be put in place whereby people in need of the morgue can contact a phone number and avail the facility.
The morgue, hearse van and the coffin stand was inaugurated at the hands of the Parish Priest of Our Lady of Gloria Church, Varca Fr Luis Coutinho in the presence of Urban Development Minister and Cuncolim MLA Joaquim Alemao.