SUKKUR: Acting upon media reports, which claimed that several employees posted in the morgue of the Khairpur Civil Hospital got infected while handling three rotting bodies, the district administration has constituted an inquiry committee to ascertain facts leading to the situation.

The provincial chief secretary has sought a report from the health secretary, who asked Khairpur District Health Officer (DHO) Nadeem Jokhio to hold an inquiry into the matter.

According to some local journalists, the air-conditioning system in the morgue had gone out of order and the facility had also run out of the material used in preserving the bodies at least for a short period of time before their burial.

They reported that some employees, on condition of anonymity, said that civil hospital’s officials concerned were informed of the situation several days ago but the needful was not done.

Probe ordered into breakdown of air-conditioning system, embalming machines and other equipment.

The journalists claimed that someone visiting the hospital shared with them videos showing some morgue workers having fallen ill and being treated for infectious disease. They further claimed that the victims had got infected by handling three unclaimed bodies that had swollen and started rotting.

It was reported that the morgue’s embalming machines had already been lying dysfunctional for long.

The morgue staff appearing in the video said that after seeing their colleagues falling ill, they did not bathe and shroud the bodies, which were found infested with decomposing bacteria and insects.

Taking notice of the serious lapse, the Sukkur commissioner asked the medial superintendent of the Khairpur Civil Hospital to get the matter thoroughly investigated.

A probe committee consisting of Javed Ahmed Phulpoto (chairman), Mukhtiar Lakho and Ikram Tunio was formed to see as to how the air-conditioning system, embalming machines and other vital equipment went out of order. The committee was directed to complete its probe and submit a report to the MS as soon as possible.

The commissioner told Dawn that the Khairpur DC had brought the matter into the notice of the provincial chief secretary as well.

Accordingly, the chief secretary sought a report from the health secretary, who asked Khairpur District Health Officer (DHO) Nadeem Jokhio to hold an inquiry into the matter.

Jokhio, when contacted on Friday, said that the health secretary had directed him to submit his findings to him within a week. He said he would constitute his own inquiry committee to ensure transparency.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2024