After repeated delays and much waiting, the new mortuary at the new South Goa District hospital has been commissioned and is ready to begin operations. The new capacity is expected to come as much relief to many, as traveling to Goa Medical College for want of a storage cabinet in the mortuary won’t be needed anymore.
Now, with the added facility, South Goa mortuary capacity in Margao is expected to be around 90. Of this, 72 new cabinets have been commissioned at the new district hospital. The already existing T.B Hospital at Monte will continue to run, and with its space of 10-15 cabinets, the total capacity of 90 is going to be well sufficient to meet current and future requirements.
The new district hospital mortuary, unlike the one at T.B hospital, has the advantage of being attached to the hospital itself. As such, dead persons can be shifted on stretchers itself to the morgue.
Previously, if persons had to die at Hospicio hospital, a special ambulance or hearse van had to be arranged to shift the body to the T.B morgue which is a little away from the hospital.
In recent times, people from Margao and neighboring areas of South Goa had been struggling to find a suitable place to store the bodies of their loved ones until funeral rites were held. Mortuary spaces would be full and patients had to make a long journey to GMC for want of suitable space for the dead.
The issue of space constraints appears to have ended now with the commissioning of the new mortuary. Also, a portion of the new morgue will be preserved for medico-legal cases and unclaimed bodies, as according to officials, they take a longer time to be disposed of.
The new morgue was awaiting final work as the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) had been still working on certain works related to the smooth functioning of the morgue. With all work complete, GSIDC has stated that they have handed over the morgue to the health officials, and they can begin its functioning.
However, it is learned, that Hospicio Hospital will continue to use the T.B morgue at Monte.
Currently, the new South Goa District Hospital is being used as a COVID hospital, catering to mild and symptomatic patients. Step-down patients from ESI-hospital and GMC are also shifted here for final recovery.
