Drama over dead body: Honour and respect agreements - Tema General Hospital to patrons

Management of the Tema General Hospital has entreated the general public to respect and honour their side of agreements as part of customer care processes to avoid similar instances of burial disruptions like it happened on Saturday 11th February 2017.

Reports revealed that some livid morgue attendants stormed the Community 9 cemetery on Saturday during a burial process and disrupted the proceedings as they seized a coffin in the presence of the family and sympathisers, opened it, picked out the dressed corpse and headed back to the morgue.

According to the reports, the family of the deceased had sneaked out the body after failing to pay arrears for services rendered by one of the mortuary men as agreed.

A statement signed by Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Kwabena Opoku-Adusei indicates that checks are being conducted by management of the hospital to look into the case of the individual involved.

Though Dr. Kwabena Opoku maintained that the incident happened outside the hospital and that the hospital is in no way linked to the happenings that took place at the cemetery, he added that the persons who patronize the services of the hospital, officially or unofficially must ensure that the terms on which the agreements are made are honored.

He stated that the hospital has put in place official and formalized ways of depositing dead bodies at the Hospital morgue and retrieving same, any other unofficial arrangements he added, become personal.

The statement also mentioned that anyone who tries to mar the reputation of the hospital would be disciplined in accordance with the Code of Conduct and Displinary procedures of the Ghana Health Service.

The mortuary man involved in the incidence is said to have been sacked by management of the hospital after an emergency meeting was held Tuesday.

Find a copy of the full statement below: