Parliament asks govt to fix dysfunctional morgues

Jacob Oulanyah, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament has asked the Ministry of Health to fix rundown mortuaries after a section of lawmakers reported dysfunctional morgues in a number of regional referral hospitals.

Oulanyah's complaint followed a complaint by Lyandro Komakech (Gulu Municipality) that an investigative journalist working with a local TV station exposed two badly decomposing bodies at Gulu Referral Hospital.

"The footage was so disturbing and we demand that the director of the hospital be relieved of his duties," Komakech said.

Joseph Gonzanga Ssewungu (Kalungu West) told the House that the situation in Gulu is a microcosm of the dire situation concerning dysfunctional morgues in different parts of the country.

"For us in the greater Masaka, dead bodies are left in wards because mortuaries are dysfunctional. This has taught many people to stop fearing dead bodies," Ssewungu said, adding: "Let the ministry of health produce a status report on all mortuaries in the country."

The mortuary at Mulago Hospital. File Photo

Minister of state for health, Dr Joyce Moriku Kaducu pushed back against calls to have the director Gulu Referral Hospital sacked without giving him a hearing.

"The bodies in issue were dumped by unknown people and it's the duty of Gulu municipality to bury unclaimed bodies in its locality, not the hospital," Kaducu said.

However, instead of tabling a status report on morgues in the country, Oulanyah asked the health ministry to fix all mortuaries to avert the dangers that come with failure to properly preserve dead bodies.

A number of reports by Auditor General, John Muwanga have over the years highlighted a breakdown of refrigeration services in government hospitals.

Where the refrigeration services are working, some of the public health facilities have intermittent power supply which results in poor preservation of cadavers.