The Oyo State Government has issued seven days notice to relatives and next of kin of unclaimed corpses deposited in various public hospital mortuaries across the state to come forward for identification and claim otherwise it would embark on a mass burial.
This was contained in a statement issued in Ibadan by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi on Monday.
Ajetunmobi said that the ministry had observed a significant increase in the number of unclaimed corpses in mortuaries in public health facilities across the state.
The commissioner warned that the bodies, if not identified and claimed, would be given mass burial after the expiration of seven days.
According to her, the corpses were brought to the hospitals’ mortuaries by the Nigeria Police Force, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigerian Correctional Service, and other relevant agencies.
She said: “Over time, the bodies have remained unclaimed, resulting in severe congestion in the affected mortuaries, many of which have now reached their storage capacities.
“In view of this development and the need to ensure the continued efficient operation of health facilities, members of the public, particularly individuals with missing relatives, are urged to visit the relevant public hospital mortuaries for the purpose of identification and possible claim of the corpses.”
Ajetunmobi further said that arrangements are being finalised for the conduct of mass burial of all unclaimed corpses in the affected facilities, “which will take place seven days from the date of this publication”.
The commissioner explained that the seven days notice was intended to provide an opportunity for relatives and other concerned persons to come forward for identification before the burial exercise is carried out.
She reiterated that the government remains committed to maintaining acceptable public health standards and ensuring the effective management of healthcare facilities across the state.
