Mangaluru : Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim has directed District Wenlock Hospital administration to publish advertisements about the unclaimed non-medico-legal case dead bodies in newspapers with photos and in the hospital notice boards. If no organisation comes forward to take bodies for 15 days, they can be handed over to medical colleges.

Speaking at a meeting on the issues here in the hospital on Thursday, he said that a separate account should be maintained for non-MLC bodies in the hospital. Meanwhile, National Human Rights Authority of India members said that they would maintain the 11 non-MLC bodies which are present in the hospital. They would perform the last rights according to the religion of the person.

However, representatives from various medical colleges demanded the administration to handover the bodies to them for study. One body can be used for ten students for study, but because of scarcity of bodies, now one body is used for 25 students.

Giving body to organisations is just wasting them. Bodies can be given after post mortem also. The DC suggested to bring amendment to the Anatomy Act, so that unclaimed bodies can be handed over to the colleges without any problem.

Meanwhile, the District Surgeon and Wenlock Superintendent Dr Rajeshwari Devi said that at present the hospital can store up to 12 dead bodies and a tender has been called to increase the capacity to 20.

The DC directed Pandeshwar police to convene a monthly meeting to update information on dead bodies related to medico-legal cases. At present there are nine MLC cases in the corporation and bodies are not disposed for several months.

The DC directed the Pandeshwar police to consult their higher officials, whenever the problem arises. Meanwhile, he reminded the corporation that it can’t dump dead bodies without paying last rights. “Receive an affidavit from NHRFI on disposal of dead bodies and at least six NGOs should register their names to move forward,” he added.

About the circular of Health and Family Welfare Directorate’s circular to stop fish food in Wenlock Hospital, A B Ibrahim said that he would write a letter to the directorate requesting to continue the previous menu as 45 per cent of people in coastal belt eat fish. The Hospital Superintendent said that the hospital is yet to receive Rs 25 lakh from budgetary allocations which resulted in change in vegetarian menu. However, she said that fish is not a part of hospital menu in any district or taluk hospitals.

National Human Rights Federation of India Central Board President Balakrishna Rai, Pandeshwara Police Station CPI Dinakar, K S Hegde Medical College Department of Anatomy Head Dr Martis Lucas were present among others.