Tema General Hospital has explained the rationale behind the seizure of a corpse at the Tema Community 9 cemetery over the weekend by some of its mortuary men.
Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Adusei Poku, the family of the deceased sneaked out the corpse after failing to pay arrears for services he rendered as agreed.
“I have spoken to the mortuary man; he is a disciplined person; it was a private job which has nothing to do with the hospital” he stressed.
The explanations come after video and photos of the mortuary men carrying the dead body from the cemetery went viral on social media.
According to reports, the family who was owing GH¢40 sneaked the corpse out of the mortuary, headed straight to the cemetery to bury and was ready to proceed to perform the funeral
The livid morgue attendants stormed the cemetery while the body was being interred, seized the coffin, opened it, picked out the dressed corpse and started heading back to the mortuary.
This has generated controversy with many blaming the mortuary men of desecrating the dead.
But Dr. Adusei Poku in an exclusive interview on Adom News Monday said the hospital cannot be blamed for the conduct of the morgue attendant.
He indicated that the agreement reached was between him [mortuary man] and the family of the deceased thus his actions was within his right.
“The mortuary man removed the corpse from the coffin because he was dared to do his worst by family members who stole the corpse from the morgue at his blind side” the Medical Director explained.
Dr. Adusei Poku maintained that if the family of the deceased who was at fault had pleaded with him, he would have allowed them to bury it”.
He said the mortuary man has been asked to write an official report on the matter for immediate action to be taken on the matter.
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