Freezer Crisis at Osmani Hospital Morgue: Corpses Stored in Open Areas

At Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital, the morgue’s sole reliance for preserving corpses was two freezers, which have been non-functional for a long time. As a result, bodies are now being stored in open areas, posing not only health risks but also complicating forensic analysis. Additionally, the freezer in the autopsy room has been out of service for several months.

A visit to Osmani Hospital revealed that one of the morgue’s freezers had a capacity to store 12 bodies in two sections, while the other could hold four bodies, with two per chamber, totaling a capacity of 16 bodies. Currently, one freezer is completely non-functional, and the other can only effectively store two bodies. The autopsy room’s freezer, meant for three bodies, is also entirely out of order.

Consequently, bodies arriving at the morgue daily are being kept in open areas instead of a cold, preserved environment, leading to rapid decomposition and a strong stench. This situation is also hindering autopsies and forensic analysis. An anonymous morgue worker at Osmani Medical College Hospital stated that the freezers have been facing issues with compressor gas and other mechanical faults for a long time. Temporary repairs by mechanics provide short-term functionality, but the freezers break down again within days. As a result, bodies are often stored on trolleys. As the primary healthcare institution in Sylhet Division, many view this situation as gross negligence in the healthcare system. There is a growing demand from various quarters for the urgent supply of new freezers or repair of the existing ones. Dr. Shamsul Islam, Associate Professor and Head of the Forensic Department at Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College and Hospital, said, “For about a year, the only freezer in our medical college has been out of service. Despite repeated reminders to the authorities, no solution has been found.” Dr. Soumitra Chakraborty, Deputy Director of Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital, told Dhaka Post that the hospital received high-capacity freezers in 2008 and 2017. The 2008 freezer, with 12 chambers, was designed to last 10 years but has been kept operational through repairs. The 2017 freezer, with four chambers and a three-year lifespan, is no longer functional. Currently, only two chambers of one freezer are operational. He added, “We’ve learned from the authorities that repairing the freezers would cost as much as buying new ones. On May 22 this year, we requested a new 12-chamber freezer. We hope to receive it, but if not, we plan to purchase one from the new fiscal year’s budget to resolve this crisis.” He further stated, “We are urging relevant police stations and relatives of the deceased to make alternative arrangements for storing bodies. We do not want bodies to decompose in open areas.” Dr. Joynul Abedin Tito, Line Director of Hospital Services Management at the Directorate General of Health Services, told Dhaka Post, “Over the past three years, we have supplied 33 mortuary freezers. Recently, various medical college hospitals have requested mortuary freezers, but we haven’t received any budget allocation this year. If we receive funds, we can supply freezers based on demand. Otherwise, I will request the government to allocate funds directly to hospitals or procure freezers through the Central Medical Stores Depot (CMSD).”