The Kwara State University Teaching Hospital (KWASUTH) in Ilorin has made a major announcement regarding the state of its mortuary facilities. The hospital's spokesperson, Yakub Aliagan, revealed that the mortuary was filled beyond capacity due to an accumulation of unclaimed corpses.
In response to this pressing issue, the hospital management has given a 14-day ultimatum to families and concerned individuals to claim the bodies of their deceased relatives.
The decision to issue this ultimatum stems from the urgent need to decongest the mortuary, which currently lacks available space for additional bodies.
Mr. Aliagan emphasized the importance of this measure, stating, "The management, therefore, implores concerned members of the general public to come and retrieve the bodies of their relatives and loved ones within the next two weeks from the time of this announcement." Should the corpses remain unclaimed after the specified period, the hospital will consider conducting a mass burial to address the overcrowding.
This situation highlights a broader challenge faced by many hospitals, where unclaimed bodies can lead to logistical and ethical dilemmas. The hospital's proactive approach aims to mitigate these issues while urging the public to take responsibility for their deceased family members.
In a related development, the Enugu State Government recently introduced a mortuary tax to discourage prolonged storage of bodies. As of October 2024, a daily fee of N40 is imposed on owners of corpses not buried within 24 hours, with the amount accruing until the body is claimed.
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