All three freezers at the morgue of Narayanganj General (Victoria) Hospital, the only morgue in the district, have been out of order for more than six months, causing difficulties in preserving bodies.
The air conditioner (AC) in the autopsy room is also broken, while dirty water accumulates at the morgue entrance even after light rain, adding to the suffering of doctors, staff and the relatives of the deceased.
With the freezers out of order, some families have been forced to rent refrigerated ambulances from private providers to preserve bodies, incurring additional expenses.
The problem recently caused hardship for the family of Shuvo Chandra Das, also known as Md Billal, 32, who was shot dead in the Chashara area of the city following a dispute over drugs.
As the morgue could not preserve his body, his family had to keep it in a refrigerated ambulance parked outside, spending around Tk 47,000 over four days.
Shuvo's brother Md Ibrahim said they could not even properly care for his brother's body. It was left in the morgue and began to decompose. "We eventually arranged a refrigerated ambulance ourselves. After requesting the police, we managed to move the body to a cold storage facility in Dhaka.”
A visit to the morgue found stagnant, dirty water pooled at its entrance, with ducks swimming in it. Inside, all three freezers intended for preserving bodies were found to be out of order.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a morgue employee said bodies were brought there without adequate facilities to preserve them.
Families who could afford it rented refrigerated vehicles from outside, while those with limited means brought ice from elsewhere and placed it around the bodies to slow decomposition.
Morgue attendant Darpan Das said many bodies did not need to be preserved for more than a day or two.
“Even when partially decomposed bodies arrive, they are kept inside the morgue. However, if a body in good condition needs to be preserved, a refrigerated vehicle must be rented from outside,” he said.
Darpan also said dirty water accumulated at the entrance even after light rain, making it difficult to reach the morgue without using a rickshaw or van. The facility is located next to the administrative building of Narayanganj City Corporation.
He called for an overhaul of the drainage system in front of the morgue to ensure proper water drainage.
Hospital sources said the morgue receives an average of 30 to 32 bodies a month, with autopsies generally conducted between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm.
Dr Nazmul Hossain Bipul, resident medical officer (RMO) of Narayanganj General (Victoria) Hospital, said the morgue's freezers had been out of order for nearly six months.
He said a letter requesting repairs had been sent to the relevant department and expressed hope that the problem would be resolved soon.
Asked whether the broken freezers affected autopsies, the RMO said a roster of doctors is maintained for conducting autopsies at the hospital.
Generally, examinations were conducted on the day a body arrived, while those arriving after dusk were examined the following day. Therefore, he said, bodies did not usually need to be preserved for two or three days.
Narayanganj District Civil Surgeon Dr SM Sakhawat Hossain said he was aware of the problem and would coordinate with the relevant authorities to resolve it.