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Hospital in QC confirms bodies pile up in morgue’s hallway due to overcapacity

One of the major hospitals in the country at the front lines of the fight against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) claims that bodies have piled up in its morgue’s facility due to overcapacity, CNN Philippines reported.
According to the spokesperson of East Avenue Medical Center (EAMC) Dr. Dennis Ordoña, the hospital does not have enough equipment to store more bodies of the deceased.
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In an interview with CNN Philippines, Ordoña the morgue can only accommodate five bodies on a normal basis. However, today, there are 20 more cadavers in the morgue that have not yet been picked up.
He added that some of the cadavers have been in the facility for at least four days, noting that their stench has reeked other areas of the hospital as well.
Earlier, journalist Arnold Clavio posted on his Instagram about this situation—although he did not name the hospital. Clavio cited his “frontliner” source that bodies are piling up in the  hospital’s hallway—with one of the wards having 15 to 20 COVID-19 positive bodies, and the other full of PUI (Persons Under Investigation).
The spokesperson confirmed to CNN Philippines that the hospital the journalist was referring to is EAMC, but clarified that the bodies were piling up in the morgue’s hallway, not the hospital’s.
He also explained that none of the bodies have tested positive for the disease so far, and that while they are waiting for the test results, they are still considered PUIs.
Currently, Ordoña said the hospital is coordinating with the local government units (LGUs) about the last known addresses of the deceased, and trying to find out if the bodies couldn’t be claimed because of the enhanced community quarantine, or if they cannot afford to pay the cremation process.
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According to Section 4.6 of the Interior Department’s guidelines for handling PUI and COVID-19 deaths, the LGUs “shall designate and commission reputable funeral parlors and crematoriums to handle the remains of confirmed COVID-19 cases and PUIs.” They must also pay for the logistical, fuel, and salary expenses concerned in handing the bodies.

Staff Report

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