CHENNAI: A severe crisis has gripped the mortuary at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH), where unclaimed bodies have piled up for years, and hundreds of viscera samples remain unprocessed, with some families’ wait for reports continuing for more than two years.
The twin crises raise serious concerns over the hospital’s compliance with medico-legal protocols and the resulting delay in justice for grieving families.
Statistics reveal that nearly 50 unclaimed or unidentified bodies are currently stored at the RGGGH mortuary. While some are recent, others have been languishing for two, six, or even 12 years. This delay impacts the mortuary’s storage capacity, leading to a grim accumulation of remains in violation of basic dignity.
Adding to this is a massive backlog of viscera analysis. Nearly 200-250 viscera bottles from the years 2023 to 2026 are accumulated at RGGGH mortuary, which is against the norms, sources added.
The grim situation at RGGGH appears to violate the prescribed timelines. Compounding the delay in post-mortems is a massive backlog of viscera samples.
The time taken by the investigating agencies to deliver the viscera to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) is also a matter of concern. The delivery time varies from a few days to a year after the autopsy, an FSL document noted.
For the families of deceased victims, particularly in road mishaps, this administrative paralysis is devastating. Relatives report waiting over two years for viscera reports. Without these documents, the cause of death remains legally unconfirmed, which in turn holds up the disbursement of insurance and accident compensation. Many families, already struggling with the loss of a breadwinner, are left financially stranded.
A Government Order from the Health and Family Welfare Department in 2004 directed government hospitals to divert unclaimed dead bodies to the Department of Anatomy of government medical colleges for academic purposes, instead of handing them over to municipal authorities for disposal.
An earlier communication from the Directorate of Medical Education, dated August 2, 2001, laid down a stricter timeline for medico-legal cases. The circular instructed all deans of medical colleges and hospital heads that post-mortems should be conducted within 24 hours, and that unclaimed bodies should not be kept for more than three days in the mortuary after post-mortem before disposal.
As one of Tamil Nadu’s largest government hospitals and a premier referral centre, RGGGH handles a massive volume of medico-legal cases. Any backlog in post-mortem procedures or forensic analysis quickly results in overcrowding of mortuary facilities and a growing inventory of untested viscera bottles.