Homa Bay County Teaching and Referral Hospital has issued a seven-day ultimatum to families and relatives to claim 14 unclaimed bodies currently lying at the hospital’s morgue.
In a statement released on Friday, the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Oduor Vincent, said the facility is grappling with congestion and the high cost of preserving the bodies, prompting the urgent appeal.
The hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Oduor Vincent, said the facility had received the bodies from police officers across several sub-counties, with most being victims of accidents or having been retrieved from Lake Victoria. 7 of the bodies were retrieved from Mbita, 6 from Ndhiwa, and 1 from Suba South.
“We are appealing to members of the public who may have missing relatives to come forward for possible identification. The facility is overstretched, and we are operating under immense pressure due to the number of unclaimed bodies,” said Dr. Oduor.
The hospital has already obtained a court order that allows it to dispose of any bodies that remain unclaimed after the seven-day window lapses.
Families with missing loved ones have been urged to visit the hospital’s mortuary urgently to assist in the identification process before the bodies are disposed of according to public health regulations.
