The Oyo State Government has issued a seven-day notice to relatives and next of kin of unclaimed corpses deposited in various public hospital mortuaries across the state to come forward for identification and claim.
It stated that the decision was taken after observing a significant increase in the number of unclaimed corpses in mortuaries in public health facilities across the state.
Commissioner for Health, Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, disclosed this on Monday during an interview with newsmen in Ibadan, the state capital.
Ajetunmobi, meanwhile, warned that if the bodies are not identified and claimed, the ministry would be forced to give them a mass burial after the expiration of the seven-day notice.
According to her, the corpses were brought to the hospitals’ mortuaries by the Nigeria Police Force, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Nigerian Correctional Service, and other relevant agencies.
“Over time, the bodies have remained unclaimed, resulting in severe congestion in the affected mortuaries, many of which have now reached their storage capacities.
“In view of this development and the need to ensure the continued efficient operation of health facilities, members of the public, particularly individuals with missing relatives, are urged to visit the relevant public hospital mortuaries for the purpose of identification and possible claim of the corpses,” Ajetunmobi stated.
She further said that arrangements are being finalised for the conduct of a mass burial of all unclaimed corpses in the affected facilities, “which will take place seven days from the date of this publication.”
The commissioner explained that the seven-day notice was intended to provide an opportunity for relatives and other concerned persons to come forward for identification before the burial exercise is carried out.
She reiterated that the government remains committed to maintaining acceptable public health standards and ensuring the effective management of healthcare facilities across the state.