A morgue in the Irkutsk region has turned into a dumping ground: relatives of the deceased were offered a “discount for next time.”
A morgue in the Irkutsk region was turned into a dump, and funeral directors offered disgruntled relatives of the deceased a discount “for next time.”
The pathology department of the Tulun hospital has a bad reputation among local residents. Residents have complained about poor service and accused the staff of disregarding the deceased. According to Baza, one woman received her grandmother's body in terrible condition: her lips had collapsed due to missing dentures, the body emanated a terrible odor, and the coffin itself was filthy. According to those working with the morgue, the funeral directors are aware of the problems. As an apology, they offer dissatisfied relatives a discount “for next time.”
Local activist Artyom Pavlechko decided to personally investigate the situation. He broke into the building and captured horrific footage: everything was littered with junk, bodies lay on the floor, rusty instruments and medications were strewn in shoeboxes, the couches and floor were filthy, and rotting rags lay next to the corpses.
One of the morgue employees tried to stop the filming and during the argument he lit a cigarette, then threw the butt into the sink of the autopsy table where bodies are dissected.
After the video was released, the prosecutor's office and the regional Ministry of Health became interested in the morgue. These agencies will conduct investigations.
Department head Sergei Dolenchuk admitted responsibility for the filthy premises. However, as the head explained to Baza, a large number of bodies arrived during the New Year holidays—a monthly quota. The morgue has been understaffed for a long time, so they had no time for cleaning and had to store the dead wherever possible.
