National Telescope national telescope newspaper
The mortuary at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital in Amaku-Awka, Anambra State, has announced plans to begin removing, disposing of, and conducting a mass burial for abandoned corpses dating back to 2014.
The hospital’s Public Relations Officer, Henrietta Agbai, announced in a statement to the press on Monday that the initiative will kick off in July 2024.
The hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Dr. Josephat Akabuike, and the Chairman of its Medical Advisory Committee, Dr. Emmanuel Mba, jointly announced a decision in a three-paragraph statement. They stated that the move was approved by the state government.
The statement read, “His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has approved the disposal of abandoned corpses at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Coouth Amaku-Awka.
“To this end, the management wishes to inform the general public that COOUTH Amaku-Awka intends to conduct mass burials of the abandoned corpses in its mortuary from 2014 to December 2023.
“Therefore, those whose relatives are missing should visit the hospital’s mortuary for possible identification and collection of such corpses within one month of this publication.”
Located at the heart of Awka, the COOUTH serves as a primary destination for health crises in the region.
Whether it’s road accidents, gunshot wounds, or critical conditions, the hospital is often the first responder.
Sadly, many of those brought in don’t survive, leading to an overflow of bodies in the hospital’s morgue. Since 2014, the morgue has struggled with the sheer volume of corpses, many of which remain unidentified.
