The Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) has issued directions to ensure adequate mortuary facilities, dignified preservation of the deceased and the proper functioning of freezer chambers in government hospitals across the state.
The Commission has directed that all freezers in mortuaries at government hospitals be inspected periodically and maintained in working condition at all times so that the deceased and their families do not face unnecessary hardship.
The directions were issued by Haryana Human Rights Commission Member Deep Bhatia after examining reports submitted in two separate complaints pertaining to Sonepat and Faridabad. Necessary instructions have been issued to the respective Chief Medical Officers.
In the Sonepat case, the complainant, Jogender Singh, a resident of Panipat, informed the Commission that his 30-year-old son, Vikas, had died under suspicious circumstances on the night of July 18-19, 2024. The body was sent to Civil Hospital, Sonepat, for post-mortem examination.
However, according to the complainant, there was serious negligence in preserving the body, providing proper care and carrying out the identification process.
In the Faridabad case, the Commission had sought a detailed report regarding mortuary facilities, dead body preservation arrangements and the dignified handling of the deceased at BK Civil Hospital.
The report submitted by the hospital administration stated that the hospital has 14 dead body freezer chambers, of which 10 are fully functional, while four are temporarily out of service due to routine maintenance.
According to the report submitted in the Sonepat matter, the Civil Hospital has eight deep freezers in its mortuary. In addition, BPS Government Medical College for Women, Khanpur Kalan, has one mortuary chamber in the casualty department and two mortuary chambers in the Department of Forensic Medicine.
Dr Puneet Arora, Assistant Registrar, Haryana Human Rights Commission, said that after considering the reports in both cases, the Commission directed the respective Chief Medical Officers to conduct periodic inspections of all freezer chambers in their mortuaries and ensure that they remain fully operational at all times.