KARACHI, June 13: The city government has finalised to establish five small mortuaries in the hospital premises and other sites to preserve bodies as there is no such facility in the government-run hospitals except Civil and Jinnah hospitals.

An official told Online that the city government health department had prepared a Project Concept-I (PC-I) at an estimated cost of Rs50.35 million, which would be allocated in the next fiscal budget.

The health department has planned to establish mortuary at Korangi General Hospital and Abbasi Shaheed Hospital as well as at three other sites nearby the city government hospitals.

“There is virtually no place in the hospitals to keep bodies and people have to contact Edhi Centre or perhaps JPMC and Civil Hospital for the matter,” the official maintained.

The official said, “It is a known fact that bodies need to be preserved for various reasons and the local government is responsible for providing hygienic places for it across the city. Therefore, it is suggested that small mortuaries should be constructed in all the government hospitals so that the citizens have easy access to reasonable and hygienic mortuaries.”

The mortuaries in Civil and Jinnah hospitals have capacity to preserve only eight to 10 bodies, therefore, majority of bodies are preserved in Edhi Centre.—Online