The Tribune

By CHESTER ROBARDS

Tribune Senior Reporter

crobards@tribunemedia.net

BODIES are decomposing at the Princess Margaret Hospital’s morgue according to a funeral home owner who refused to pick up a body yesterday until it can be positively identified.

Kemuel Cox, whose funeral home carries his name, said the body was in a state of advanced decomposition because it had been kept outside in a refrigerated container behind the morgue and not in the morgue’s freezer.

He said he would refuse to remove the body for burial until the hospital administration could convince the dead man’s family that his decomposing body is in fact their relative.

“I cannot just sign my name on something and say that I picked up the body and assume that it is that person and bury the person,” said Mr. Cox.

“I need some documentation, or that they could sign off that they are releasing to me this particular person – I need that done for my record.

“I refused to remove the body today until hospital administration can come and deal with the family and satisfy them.”

Betty Hanna, the stepdaughter of the dead man, who she identified as Samuel Williams, said he died on March 10 and that the hospital was prepared to have him buried in a pauper’s grave because they were not told of a next-of-kin. Mr. Williams had lived in the Sandilands geriatric ward for 15 years and his body was initially turned over to the state, she said.

According to Ms. Hanna, the hospital would not let her identify her stepfather’s body and would not tell her why.

Mr Cox believed the reason was because the body was in such a bad state of decomposition.

He said the refrigerated container in the hospital’s morgue, which was likely used to store Mr Williams’ body and other bodies, is not cold enough to curb the onset of decomposition. The Tribune noticed a locked, refrigerated shipping container near the morgue’s back door. 

Calls to the Public Hospital Authority for comment were not returned up to press time yesterday.

Mr. Cox said the body he saw yesterday was the third decomposed body he had been asked to pick up. He said that flies and maggots have infested the container being used for storing bodies. “This experience continues to happen over and over and over again,” he said.

“There are bodies in a trailer and they are in a bag, and the majority of those bodies are decomposed.”

Mr. Cox said individuals who die in the hospital are typically wrapped in a sheet and placed in the morgue’s freezers. However, he said the body he was asked to pick up was in a body bag – a sign that something was wrong.

“He died in the hospital, he shouldn’t even be in a bag,” said Mr Cox.

“The procedure is if they die in hospital they put them in a sheet and put them in the freezer.

“The body bag lets me know that before the bag was even opened that decomposition existed.”

Ms. Hanna said now that Mr Williams’ body has been officially returned to her by the Attorney General’s office she wants to identify her stepfather and bury him.

Mr Cox said they hope to have a closed casket funeral tomorrow.