200 Unclaimed Bodies Buried in Mass Grave

Two hundred out of the 400 unclaimed bodies which crowded the Police Hospital mortuary for more than four months were finally buried in mass grave at the Awudome Cemetery last Saturday. The action became necessary after hospital authorities were prevented by the people of Bortianor from burying the unclaimed bodies at the Mile 11 cemetery in August. The bodies comprised mainly accident victims, street dwellers and insane persons whose identifies were difficult to establish. The Medial Director of the hospital, DCOP Dr Godfred Asiamah, who supervised the burial, said the mortuary was overstretched by the number of unclaimed bodies. He said the hospital was relieved that the unclaimed bodies had been buried, saying �I am happy that we were bale to bury them, because the continuous stay of the bodies was too stressful.� The action was facilitated by the Accra metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Alfred Vanderpuije, who released the space at the Awudome Cemetery for the mass burial. The space was released following a request by the hospital authorities to the assembly. DCOP Dr Asiamah said the hospital had held onto the burial of the remaining 200 unclaimed bodies, with the hope of establishing their identities and getting their relatives to claim them. DCOP Dr Godfred said the hospital had discounted discussions with the people of Bortianor, since they had refused to allow the mass burial to take place at the Mile 11 Cemetery. The lack of a site for the mass burial forced the authorities of the hospital to consider the option of cremating the 400 unclaimed bodies. The authorities at the hospital, therefore, appealed to organisations and philanthropists to support the hospital authorities with some funds to enable them to carry out the cremation.