PIMS’ decades old mortuary to be replaced soon

ISLAMABAD-PIMS mortuary – where dead bodies are kept for hygienic storage or for examination until burial or cremation – seems dirty and smelly instead of a very hygienic and clean place.

However, the decades old mortuary is soon to be replaced with a new one with more freezers and better facilities.

On visit to the mortuary of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, this correspondent found that the room where the freezers are kept was covered with dirt and gave an impression as if it was not cleaned for years.

It was also observed by The Nation that the mortuary had no staff or nurse but only two guards who accompanied and took this correspondent and his friend – whose grandfather’s body was to be kept in one of the freezers – to the room.

Upon watching the condition of the mortuary, this correspondent contacted the executive director of the hospital and made him acknowledge the pathetic and dirty condition of the mortuary.

Answering the question, Executive Director Dr Anser Masood explained that the mortuary was decades old. In addition, the equipment and freezers present in the room were also outdated and old, he said.

Upon questioning about the total number of freezers present in the mortuary, the executive director explained that there were a total of 10 freezers.

The incumbent revealed that owing to the outdated freezers and worsening condition of the mortuary room, PIMS is about to develop a fully equipped new mortuary facility which will have more freezers and hygienic environment as per the international standards.

This correspondent further disclosed that the freezers remained full and were not meeting the demand.

Dr Masood stated that the total number of freezers which they have at this time was also not good as there are times when all the freezers get full and, therefore, the hospital has to refuse further people coming in need of the respective facility.

However, he claimed that soon the project of this new development of the mortuary department would get started and these issues would be solved.

Article source: https://nation.com.pk/10-Mar-2020/pims-decades-old-mortuary-to-be-replaced-soon