24 out of 28 postmortem chambers defunct at Kalpana Chawla hospital in Karnal

Parveen Arora

Karnal, July 17

As many as 24 out of 28 chambers, also known as d-freezers, at the postmortem house of the Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College (KCGMC) have been defunct for nearly six months, causing challenges for doctors and staff members in adhering to the mandatory 72-hour holding period for unidentified bodies.

Risk of spread of diseases

We have to keep bodies in defunct chambers, which emit a foul smell. There is a high risk of contamination and spread of diseases, so the situation should be addressed promptly. — An employee

Besides, the breakdown of these chambers has created difficulties for the staff in managing and preserving bodies, especially those of drowning or burn victims, which decompose rapidly and emit strong odour, exacerbating the already strained conditions.

“Defunct chambers have become a major issue and need immediate attention. We are struggling to maintain the required standards of storage, and sometimes it becomes a health hazard for the staff and the public. When the number of bodies increases, the smell from decomposing bodies poses a problem. We can’t even stand there for a minute, but we have no option but to work in such circumstances,” said an employee.

Another employee mentioned that there was a provision for storing the body of any resident for a rent of Rs 300 daily. “We have to keep bodies in defunct chambers, which emit smells. There is an increased risk of contamination and the spread of diseases if the situation is not addressed promptly,” he added.

The postmortem house is situated in KCGMC, and postmortem examinations are conducted by doctors from both KCGMC and the District Civil Hospital. One of the doctors from the Civil Hospital said they had already requested the Civil Surgeon and the Director of KCGMC to repair these chambers so that they can have a better working environment.

“We have raised our issue with the authorities, but to no avail so far,” the doctor said, adding that the repair process might take time and interim solutions should be provided to reduce the immediate crisis.

Civil Surgeon Dr Krishan Kumar said they have written to the director of KCGMC to make these chambers functional.

KCGMC Director Dr MK Garg said these chambers would be repaired at the earliest. “The issue came to my attention, and I have ordered repair of these chambers.”