Mangaluru : The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike(KRV) staged a protest at the Wenlock Mortuary on Wednesday, Feb. 25 alleging that the hospital authorities and the police were careless towards disposal of unclaimed bodies.

The funds provided for the purpose by the city corporation had not been used, activist alleged.

The cold storage facility at the newly renovated mortuary of Government Wenlock Hospital can accommodate 12 bodies. However, 22 unclaimed bodies have been crammed into three cold storages there.

Hospital Superintendent Rajeshwaridevi H.R. said they had been struggling to dispose of unclaimed bodies, more so of eight persons, who died following suicide and accidents.

Despite repeated reminders, the police were yet to take steps to conduct the autopsy. “We cannot be held responsible for piling up of bodies,” she said.

Her response came following protests by the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike activists here on Wednesday, who questioned the hospital for keeping so many bodies in the cold storage.

The activists said while Health and Family Welfare Minister U.T. Khader had allocated Rs. 21 lakh for the renovation, nothing has been done to increase the capacity of the cold storage, which continued to be in an old block.

Disputing the claims of the activists, Dr. Rajeshwaridevi said, of the 22 bodies, post-mortem would have to be conducted in 13 medico-legal cases. Of them, eight bodies were in the cold storage since November last year.

“There has not been any response to letters written to the Police Commissioner and the Superintendent of Police for expediting the post-mortem process,” she said.

On the remaining bodies, a process has been initiated to find their family members. If the letters returned or there was no response from the family members, the bodies would be handed over to medical colleges for study. “Records are maintained clearly, there is no illegality in this,” she said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Khader claimed he was unaware of cramming of bodies in the cold storage. “I have directed the hospital to use two more cold storages immediately,” Mr. Khader told The Hindu and said he had given sanction for the purpose.