The Ondo State Government has announced that it will soon carry out a mass burial for all abandoned corpses in state-owned hospitals. The move, according to the government, is aimed at decongesting mortuaries across the state and restoring sanity to the health system.
In a statement made available to the press, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Prof. Simidele Odimayo, disclosed that Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa has given approval for the exercise after several notifications to families of deceased persons went unheeded.
He explained that a 21-day ultimatum has now been issued to relatives of the deceased to come forward and claim the remains of their loved ones before the state proceeds with the mass burial.
Prof. Odimayo noted that mortuaries in state hospitals are overstretched due to the number of corpses that have remained unclaimed for several years, some of which are tied to criminal investigations that have since been concluded.
“All necessary processes have been concluded to ensure that the burial is done in a dignified and orderly manner. We are appealing to families and relatives to take advantage of this window to identify and claim the remains of their loved ones. After the 21 days, the government will have no choice but to proceed with the mass burial,” the statement read in part.
The government also assured that due process will be followed throughout the exercise, stressing that the decision is in line with global best practices and necessary for effective healthcare management.
