A yet-to-be-identified female corpse slated for burial on Saturday has gone missing from the morgue of the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, Ogun State.
A hospital source said the drama started on Friday when the family of the deceased came to the hospital to take the body for burial only for them to discover that the corpse was no longer in the mortuary.
The source said the body, which was brought to the morgue in October 2022, could not be found among 69 other bodies shown to the family for verification.
It was also learnt that two attendants in charge of the morgue fled the premises.
The source said, “The family members of the deceased came from Ijebu-Ode to Sagamu with undertakers and ambulance on January 27, 2023, to claim their corpse for burial, but were surprised to discover that the corpse was not part of the 69 bodies brought out of the morgue for verification.
The CMD and other officials of the hospital were in a confused state as to what could have led to the disappearance of the female corpse deposited in the morgue since October last year.
“A Divisional Police Officer and his men, with other security agencies, visited the Morbid Anatomy and Histopathology Department of the hospital over the matter.”
The management of OOUTH, however, described the incident as a mix-up.
The Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Oluwabunmi Fatungase, in a statement on Saturday, said the hospital was working with agents to unravel the circumstances behind the incident.
She noted that the footage from the Closed-Circuit Television camera was also being evaluated.
The CMD hinted that the hospital would go as far as conducting a DNA test to identify the corpse.
She said, “Any circumvention of the quality assurance of the hospital will not be taken lightly and necessary consequences in consonance with the public service rules will be applied on whoever is found culpable
“The present administration in Ogun State has upgraded the mortuary with modern freezers and scaled up its amenities. The mortuary services have been a preferred place for many people to keep the remains of their beloved intact until they are ready for burial.
“While apologising to the affected family for the embarrassing situation, we seek their cooperation towards the ongoing investigation. The corpse will be identified and released to them for a befitting burial soon.”
The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, said he was not aware of the incident, but promised to get back to our correspondent.
He had yet to do so as of the time this report was filed.
*Text except headline courtesy THE PUNCH
