ED: We expect better from DMCH

It is nothing short of alarming to learn that three out of five freezers in the Dhaka Medical College Hospital’s (DMCH) mortuary have remained out of order for over a year now -- painting an extremely disappointing picture of what many in the country consider among the foremost medical institutions for the general public.

What is even more alarming is that, until recently, all three air conditioners (ACs) of the morgue remained out of order for at least three years, but were finally fixed three weeks ago.

Indeed, as far as citizens in Dhaka are concerned, DMCH is often the first name that comes to mind when it comes to seeking quality medical care which is also affordable, and as such, such blatant disregard for their facilities, particularly one as important as keeping freezers functional to safely and responsibly preserve the deceased bodies, is simply inexcusable.

It is bad enough for the relatives of the deceased to lose a loved one, but the very least they can expect is to have a well-pre-served body so that they are able to pay their final respects. Furthermore, keeping a body preserved is vital for forensic experts, and failure to do so can jeopardize their entire procedure. There is also a safety and hygiene issue at work here, with bodies that have not been properly preserved starting to rot and stink, making the environment within the morgue unfavourable to work in.

Therefore, this is an issue that must be addressed immediately. Not only is this debacle tarnishing the reputation of the DMCH, but it is causing unnecessary suffering to those who have already suffered the loss of loved ones. This cannot be allowed to go on.