‘Morgue workers milk NRH through embalming fees’
By ANDREW FANASIA
THE National Referral Hospital (NRH) is losing millions of dollars from embalming services provided by the only NRH morgue through individuals teaming up with a couple of doctors.
A close reliable source within NRH described the payment deal as a clear act of corruption that needs to be seriously addressed.
Speaking to this paper in anonymity the source claimed this corrupt practice has been going on for some years now until today.
“Some people working here are benefiting from the morgue by charging the relatives of the deceased to pay them for embalming work.
“Remember the money should be paid to the NRH account but that’s not what is happening for years now,” the source told this paper.
The source further explained that the fee for embalming is $5000 ($500 for medicine, $1,500 for hospital and $3000 to the embalmer).
The source said that the deceased bodies are to be kept free in the morgue but the power consumption to run the mortuary is very huge.
“But the sad is reality is the full amount which was supposed to be paid to the NRH accounts ended up somewhere and this practice has been going on for a good number of years now.
“Also some hospital workers who are not supposed to do embalming at the morgue have pushed their way in and charged people for embalming,” the source said.
The Solomon Star was reliably informed that the NRH Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the Medical Superintendent were aware of this alleged corrupt practice.
This paper was also informed that a number of meetings were held by the CEO and the Medical Superintendent with few specific doctors but the practice is still happening.
Just early this year another meeting was held to address this corrupt practice which they agreed that a time-table must be set up for the embalmers.
When this paper further enquired one NRH insider said the embalmers have a time table and for the hospital fees must paid to the hospital account.
“But the time table was useless and the hospital fee for embalming still ended up in someone else’s pocket,” the insider said.
Another huge setback for NRH, the source said is that the payment system needs to be overhauled because this is where these individuals capitalised on it.
The source pointed out that if the money is paid in full to the hospital account they believe it can help to improve some of the small problems that are currently experienced by the hospital morgue,
“By this I mean the morgue can easily purchase one or two standard and proper beds to be used for embalming,” the source added.
Meanwhile, the insider urges the Medical Superintendent to swiftly act and address this corrupt practices to stop allow money paid for the morgue services ended up in the someone else pocket.
