Confusion at Wa Hospital as relatives claim wrong corpses

Wa, Aug 11, GNA - Three corpses were swapped at the Wa Government Hospital Mortuary at the weekend leading to confusion among their relatives.

The comedy of errors started on Friday when the Police at Wa and relatives went to collect the body of Detective Inspector Thomas Domatiera but could not find it.

A source at the Wa Police station told the GNA on Saturday that the body of the Policeman was traced to the Royal House of Jirapa, where it was lying in state.

It was displayed on a traditional platform with all the regalia to match as Na Edmund Tankobo, Regent of Jirapa Traditional Area, who died and was also kept at the same mortuary.

The source said the attention of the elders was drawn to the mistake but they disagreed and went ahead and prepared it for burial.

It was at the last stages of the funeral that the Police and relatives of the late Inspector Domatiera arrived and identified him. The body was conveyed to Duong in the Nadowli District for burial on Saturday.

The Royal Family of Jirapa then went back to the mortuary to search for the Regent but could not find him. They eventually located the corpse on August 10 at Fielmuo in the Sissala District where it had been buried five days earlier.

His semi-decomposed body was exhumed and handed over to the people of Jirapa.

The family at Fielmuo then returned to the mortuary and succeeded in claiming the corpse of their relative.

The Upper West Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Inspector Daniel Dorkpoh told the GNA at Wa on Monday that the late Detective Inspector Domatiera was stationed at the Suame Police Station in Kumasi. He fell ill and came to Duong, his hometown, for herbal treatment. His condition got worse and he was admitted at the Wa Regional Hospital, where he died. 11 Aug. 03