By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

The Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Amaku-Awka, Anambra State staring from July will commence the disposal of abandoned corpses left in its morgue since 2014, saying that its facility is filled up.

This was contained in a statement by the hospital’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Henrietta Agbai, over the weekend on behalf of the Chief Medical Director of COOUTH, Dr Josephat Akabuike, and the Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee of the hospital, Dr Emmanuel Mba.

According to Agbai, the decision followed the approval granted for the action by the state government.

The statement reads In part: “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.”

Agbai further called on persons whose relatives are missing to visit the hospital’s mortuary for possible identification and collection of such corpses within one month of this publication.

COOUTH Amaku-Awka, located at the centre of Awka city plays host to most health emergencies in and around the state capital, especially in cases of road accidents and gunshot injuries, and other cases.

Most of these cases, in their critical stages, do not eventually make it, and the corpses are usually moved to the mortuary.

The development has hitherto resulted in the hospital’s morgue being overloaded with corpses, most of whom are unidentified, as far back as 2014.