Mass burial for 63 unclaimed bodies
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Mass burial for 63 unclaimed bodies
PORT MORESBY: The bodies of 54 adults and nine children were
buried in the 9-Mile cemetery here yesterday (Dec 8, 2021) after being left unclaimed in
the Port Moresby General Hospital mortuary for the past six months.
Hospital medical services director Dr Kone Sobi said
it was the first mass burial for the hospital this year.
He said 260 bodies had been kept in the mortuary unclaimed
since March.
The news break was published by The National:
Hospital
buries 63 bodies in mass burial
December 9, 2021The
NationalMain Stories
THE bodies of 54
adults and nine children were buried at the 9-Mile cemetery in Port Moresby
yesterday after being left “unclaimed” in the Port Moresby General Hospital’s
mortuary for the past six months.
Hospital medical services director Dr Kone Sobi said it was the first mass
burial for the hospital this year.
He said 250 bodies had been kept in the mortuary since March because no
relative had come to claim them.
“The hospital is saddened by the fact that a mass burial is not our Melanesian
way of sending off the dead. This is an unfortunate situation beyond our
control,” he said.
“There has been an increase in the number of bodies brought to the mortuary
each day during the current (Covid-19) surges.
“As a result, the hospital was
burdened with the issue of overcrowding.”
Dr Sobi said conducting a mass burial for more than 50 bodies was an expensive
exercise.
“I thank the National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop and the National
Capital District Commission for coming on board to support this initiative,” he
said.
He said K90,000 was spent yearly for mass burials, with three to four done a
year.
Dr Sobi said the hospital was in the process of identifying more unclaimed
bodies for another mass burial. “We have sent out notices and are giving their
relatives time to come and claim the bodies,” he said.
Two trucks transported the 63 coffins to the cemetery yesterday.
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