Three bodies that were left unclaimed at the CWM Hospital morgue were given their final rites by the Shree Sanatan Dharam Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji at the Vatuwaqa crematorium yesterday.
Medical Superintendent CWM Hospital Dr Luke Nasedra confirmed the three bodies had been in the mortuary for the last two to three years.
“We were waiting and no one claimed, so we wrote again to the Solicitor-General’s office through the permanent secretary of Health that nobody has come forward,” he said.
“Then from there they gave us the approval for the funeral rites for the bodies.
“By that time the Shree Sanatan Dharam Pratinidhi Sabha Fiji came forward to be the guardian of the three bodies.”
He said the Ministry has seen an increase in the number of unclaimed bodies at the mortuary.
“We’ve decided that we will put a cap of one month, and if after one month no comes forth, then we will start to label it as unclaimed.”
Sanatan Fiji national president Dhirendra Nand thanked the Ministry of Health for allowing Sanatan Fiji to perform the final rites for the decreased bodies.
“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 community, to please fulfil your moral duty to the society.”
