A severe space crisis has gripped the mortuary at the Government Medical College Hospital at Vandanam in Alappuzha, where 15 out of 16 cold-storage freezers are currently occupied by unidentified and unclaimed bodies.

The shortage of available freezers has plunged many families into distress, leaving them unable to temporarily preserve the bodies of their loved ones who pass away at the hospital.

The issue has been escalating for months, with some unclaimed bodies occupying freezer space since February last year. Hospital officials reveal that administrative delays, particularly in obtaining mandatory clearances from various police stations, have bottlenecked the process of respectfully disposing of these remains.

Bureaucratic delays stall final rites
According to hospital protocol, when unidentified patients brought in by the police from different parts of the district die during treatment, their bodies cannot be cremated or buried without a formal clearance certificate from the respective police station. Delays by the police in issuing these certificates remain the primary obstacle to freeing up freezer space in the mortuary.

Once the police clearance is finally obtained, the hospital authorities coordinate with the Ambalapuzha North Panchayat for the disposal of the bodies. The local body then facilitates the cremation at the Valiachudukad public crematorium, with the financial assistance of the Alappuzha Municipality. However, because the initial police clearances are heavily delayed, the entire process has ground to a near-halt.

Grieving families bear the brunt
The acute shortage of freezers means that local families who lose their relatives at the hospital are turned away when they request morgue services. Many are forced to make alternative, expensive arrangements at private facilities or rush through funeral rites without giving distant relatives time to arrive and pay their last respects.

Acknowledging the severity of the situation, the Alappuzha Medical College authorities have formally apprised the Health Minister's office of the crisis, urging immediate intervention to streamline police clearances and restore normalcy to the morgue's operations.