Margao: Associate Professor of Forensic Medicine at the South Goa District Hospital (SGDH), Dr Madhu Godkirekar, said that a total of seven bodies were received at the mortuary on Good Friday.
He said preservation of these bodies became easier after Margao Municipal Council (MMC) disposed of 23 unclaimed bodies over the past three days, following a report by The Navhind Times highlighting that the SGDH morgue was full with 23 preserved unclaimed bodies belonging to the MMC for over two months.
As a result, there was hardly any space to accommodate bodies that are usually brought in from Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday, when funeral rites are not performed by members of the Catholic community.
“We received seven dead bodies on Friday, of which six are from the Catholic community, at the SGDH morgue. It is good that MMC had cleared 23 unclaimed bodies,” Dr Godkirekar said, while thanking the media.
He said that, as per procedure, bodies from areas under Margao town, Fatorda, the Konkan Railway Police Station and SGDH fall under the jurisdiction of MMC, and the civic body is duty-bound to conduct their final rites.
He said he would also write to panchayats to clear bodies preserved by police stations within their jurisdiction.
