Kilifi County hospital has suspended mortuary services for three weeks from Thursday.
The services will resume on April 14.
Kilifi county hospital administrator Timothy Musau said the suspension is to allow for the upgrading of the current mortuary to a new one.
“We are upgrading the facility. The suspension will give us time to install modern equipment to the new mortuary. We, advise members of the public, to seek mortuary services at Malindi Subcounty Hospital or the Coast General Hospital,” Musau said.
The administrator said the hospital will give families up to two hours to collect their loved ones who die at the hospital.
“We will not conduct postmortems during this period. These services will be offered in private mortuaries or Malindi subcounty hospital mortuary,” Musau said.
The hospital is currently seeking a court order to dispose of 10 unclaimed bodies.
The new mortuary can hold 40 bodies.
The construction of the new mortuary started in the 2015/2016 financial year.
Shoboi Munga, a coffin seller expressed concerns that the shutting of the mortuary will affect poor families.
Munga said some families may not have the capacity to pay for private mortuary services.
“This mortuary charges Sh250 per day while the private ones charge Sh1000 per day. Some families would want to preserve their loved ones so that they can hold fundraisers but with its closure, very few will be able to accord their loved ones a decent send-off,” he said
Anderson Kazungu, a resident, wondered where bodies collected by the police will be taken to.
“I am sure the police will not take bodies from Kilifi to Malindi or private mortuaries. I am afraid some cases will derail due to the lack of postmortem reports. This mortuary is central and many postmortems are done here. With its closure, people will suffer‚” he said.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
