Ojukwu varsity hospital to commence disposal of abandoned corpses from July 2024

The Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, COOUTH, Amaku-Awka, is to commence the disposal of abandoned corpses at its mortuary since 2014, starting in July 2024.

The Public Relations Officer of the hospital, Henrietta Agbai, disclosed this in a statement she issued 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.

COOUTH Amaku-Awka, located at the centre of Awka, the State Capital City, is usually the first port of call for health emergencies in and around the state capital, especially in cases of road accidents and gunshot injuries, among 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 resulted in the hospital’s mortuary being overloaded with corpses, most of whom are unidentified, as far back as 2014.

Disclosing the decision of the hospital to dispose of the corpses, the COOUTH PRO, Agbai, said it followed the approval granted for the action by the state government.

“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,” the statement said.

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