The story of the three bodies that were left unclaimed at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital mortuary in Suva raises many questions.
Yesterday, the Shree Sanatan Dharam Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji organised final rites for the three bodies at the Vatuwaqa crematorium in Suva.
Medical Superintendent CWM Hospital Dr Luke Nasedra confirmed the three bodies had been in the mortuary for the past two to three years.
No one came forward to claim the bodies over the years, and they lay there in the mortuary.
Dr Nasedra said they wrote to the Solicitor-General’s office through the permanent secretary of Health, informing the office that nobody had come forward to claim them.
Approval was given for the funeral and final rites for the bodies.
“By that time the Shree Sanatan Dharam Pratinidhi Sabha Fiji came forward to be the guardian of the three bodies.”
Now what will raise attention is the revelation that the ministry has seen an increase in the number of unclaimed bodies at the mortuary.
Sanatan Fiji national president Dhirendra Nand thanked the Ministry of Health for allowing them to perform the final rites.
“There should not be a situation where we have any unclaimed bodies in any of our mortuaries,” he said.
“This is my plea to all the young people and to the community, to please fulfil your moral duty to society.”
What we have here is a situation that should make us sit up and take notice.
It is sad that the three bodies weren’t claimed.
We hope this isn’t a reflection of a fragmented society, where the dead don’t matter at all.
Surely the three may have been loved and valued members of a family at some stage of their lives. They may have been special to someone in their lifetime.
We may never know what happened to them in their final days and may never know their families. It is a sad way to go.
This situation prompts a broader societal reflection.
It is sad when the dead are ignored, forgotten and neglected.
The onus is on us to re-evaluate how we look at one another, and how much value we place on relationships and life.
How can we ensure every person, regardless of their circumstances in life or death, is accorded dignity and respect in their final moments.
We raise this issue today in the hope that we can all engage in ensuring proper closure for those who pass on.
There is a need for compassion and empathy and organisations like the Shree Sanatan Dharam Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji are great examples of how civil society can step up to fill gaps in the system and ensure that no one is left behind, even in death.
This story serves as a reminder of our collective duty towards the deceased. It is a call to action to address the plight of unclaimed bodies in mortuaries.
