The Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) has ordered state health authorities to fix and maintain mortuary facilities across all government hospitals, emphasising that the dignified preservation of bodies is a fundamental responsibility.
Event Context
The commission’s intervention follows complaints highlighting shortcomings in mortuary infrastructure and preservation arrangements, prompting it to seek detailed reports from the respective hospital authorities before issuing statewide directions.
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Dr Puneet Arora, assistant registrar of the HHRC said that after considering the reports in both matters, the commission issued directions to the respective CMOs to conduct regular inspections of freezer chambers and ensure they remain in working condition.
It stressed that government hospitals must ensure proper preservation facilities so that relatives do not suffer avoidable hardship due to equipment failures or inadequate infrastructure.
Team Analysis
One of the cases was filed by Jogender Singh, a resident of Panipat, whose 30-year-old son, Vikas, allegedly died under suspicious circumstances on the night of July 18, 2024, who alleged that the body was taken to Sonepat civil hospital for post-mortem examination, where the family allegedly faced serious difficulties due to inadequate preservation facilities and shortcomings in the identification process.
The complainant alleged that the mortuary lacked sufficient functional freezer facilities, resulting in improper preservation of the body and causing immense mental trauma to the bereaved family. In a separate complaint concerning BK Civil Hospital Faridabad, the commission had sought details regarding mortuary infrastructure and arrangements for dignified preservation of the deceased.
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According to the copy of the order, the directions were issued by HHRC member Deep Bhatia while disposing of two separate complaints relating to mortuary facilities at Civil Hospital, Sonipat, and BK Civil Hospital, Faridabad.
The commission observed that preserving the dignity of the deceased and ensuring respectful handling of dead bodies is a fundamental responsibility of public healthcare institutions and that negligence in this regard cannot be tolerated.
According to the report submitted by the principal medical officer, the hospital has 14 dead body freezer chambers, of which 10 are fully functional, while four are temporarily under routine maintenance. The hospital officials said that they conduct five to ten post-mortem examinations daily and that the available freezer capacity is adequate to handle the routine inflow of bodies.
After examining the report, the commission directed the chief medical officer to periodically inspect all freezer chambers and ensure that the number of functional freezers mentioned in the report remains available at all times. It also clarified that although the complaint has been disposed of, fresh action would be initiated if similar complaints are received in future.
