Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 12) — The Quezon City government has been tasked to manage unclaimed COVID-19 dead at the East Avenue Medical Center.
In a statement, the Health Department said the Quezon City Council will manage unclaimed remains and pay for their cremation if their next of kin do not have money for it.
It added that the hospital had received a mobile morgue where they can store the deceased, whether they were COVID-19 patients or not. The hospital had also received additional body bags Sunday morning, the Health Department said.
The hospital had also received additional body bags Sunday morning, the Health Department said.
Arrangements have also been made with other local government units, the Metro Manila Development Authority and other groups for the transportation, cremation or burial, the Health Department said.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III paid a visit to East Avenue Medical Center Sunday morning following its admission that unclaimed bodies have piled up at the hallway of its morgue.
“Ang capacity lang po kasi noon [morgue] is for 5 patients. Ang pinakamataas po na na-record po namin ay 20… na hindi po napi-pick-up,” East Avenue Medical Center spokesperson Dr. Dennis Ordoña told CNN Philippines. “Honestly po, may mga bangkay na po doon na nangangamoy na. Umaabot na din po admittedly ‘yung amoy sa ibang areas po ng hospital.”
[Translation: Our hospital morgue is built for only 5 patients. The highest number we’ve recorded so far are 20 bodies which have not yet been picked up. Honestly, some of them have started to smell. We admit, that the stench reaches other areas of the hospital.]
He said that coronavirus test results of the deceased whose remains they are keeping are still pending.
He added that the hospital is coordinating with local government units where the dead person used to live, if relatives of the deceased wouldn’t be able to claim their relatives’ remains due to the ongoing implementation of the enhanced community quarantine; or if they are unable to pay for the cremation processes.
Under Section 4.6 of the Interior Department’s guidelines for handling patients under investigation and COVID-19 deaths, local governments “shall designate and commission reputable funeral parlors and crematoriums to handle the remains of confirmed COVID-19 cases and PUIs.”
They are also mandated to shoulder logistical, fuel, and salary expenses involved in the process.
CNN Philippines’ Paolo Barcelon contributed to this report.
The mobile morgue was a donation from Rosita Soliman Foundation.
