Final call: FMC Keffi sets deadline to clear morgue of 21 unclaimed bodies

The Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Keffi has issued a stern two-week ultimatum to families with unclaimed bodies in its morgue, stating that 21 uncollected corpses will be disposed of if they remain unclaimed.

In a press release on Tuesday, Miss Esther Bature, Head of Public Relations and Protocol at FMC Keffi, highlighted that the bodies, some exceeding the six-month legal limit for storage, have become a health risk to both the hospital and nearby areas.

Bature explained that the morgue is reaching capacity and the extended stay of these corpses is causing sanitation concerns.

“These unclaimed corpses are now a potential health hazard to the hospital and its immediate environment. We are therefore appealing to members of the public who may have missing relatives to come forward for identification and collection,” she said.

Bature urged relatives to visit the hospital’s morgue for possible identification, stressing the urgency of the situation.

The management’s deadline, effective from Tuesday, Nov. 5, allows until Nov. 19 for retrieval. Any unclaimed bodies after this period, she stated, will be cleared and disposed of to safeguard public health.

FMC Keffi also warned that the disposal process will be conducted with utmost compliance to regulatory standards.

The centre encouraged residents to promptly check on any missing relatives, as the hospital would not be able to provide extended accommodation for the unclaimed bodies.