Hospital calls for identification of 9 bodies

The bodies have been lying in the morgue for the past two years. [iStockphoto]

A health official at the Eldama Ravine Sub-County Hospital has appealed to the public to collect nine unclaimed bodies which have been lying at the hospital morgue.

Public Health officer Gideon Kimulwo stated that the bodies have been lying in the morgue for the past two years.

Mr Kimulwo said that it was difficult for the facility to identify the deceased persons as eight were received at the morgue without any identification.

"We appeal to the public with missing persons to visit Eldama Ravine morgue because we don't have the identity of the deceased, making it complicated to reach out to their families," Kimulwo said.

Kimulwo explained that the hospital morgue which has a capacity to hold 18 bodies has exceeded its limit.

He said they have been forced to turn down locals forcing them to travel over 100km to Kabarnet town within Baringo and Nakuru counties for mortuary service.

He further revealed that the hospital will be seeking an order from the court to allow them to dispose off the unclaimed bodies.

The officer explained that in 2020 four bodies were received in the facility, with three others last year and one this year all taken to the facility by the police. Last month Baringo County Hospital disposed of 42 unclaimed bodies at a public cemetery with the majority being infants.

The hospital medical superintendent Dr Garishom Abakalwa said that the majority of the bodies were brought into the hospital morgue by police and the rest were patients from the Tiaty sub-county.

The hospital has a capacity of 48. Baringo has two public morgues at Eldama Ravine and Kabarnet which serve six sub-counties.