Jamaica Health Minister Halts Burial Of Dead Babies

KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC) – Health Minister Horace Dalley has instructed the authorities at two Corporate Area Hospitals to refrain from burying the bodies of babies that have been in the morgue – some for several months.

Health Minister Horace Dalley.

Dalley issued the order following reports on the weekend that the bodies of babies stored in the morgues at the Kingston Public and Victoria Jubilee Hospitals, were removed for burial.

The South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA), is however insisting that the removal of the bodies was a routine process and there is no need for alarm.

According to SERHA, the babies were still born but there were delays in the issuing of documents needed for the release of the bodies .

The authority said for the cause delay included the absence of parents from the post mortems that are required for a burial order to be issued as well as parents not taking custody of the bodies.

Government Policy governing the burial of babies states that when parents fail to be present at post mortems, the hospital should take responsibility for the burial of the body.

In a statement late Saturday, Dalley requested a detailed clarification of the circumstances be made before any further burials can proceed.

He has also summoned the management of the both hospitals and SERHA to a meeting at the Ministry of Health to discuss the matter.