The National Referral Hospital (NRH) is making an urgent plea to grieving families: please collect the bodies of deceased relatives within 48 hours. With the morgue now overwhelmed and nearing full capacity, hospital officials warn that the situation has become critical.
“We understand these are difficult times for families,” according to an official press statement. “But our mortuary is only built to hold a limited number of bodies, and right now, we’re beyond that limit.”
Currently, the morgue is storing 18 bodies — significantly more than it was designed to hold — leading to concerns about hygiene and the hospital’s ability to maintain respectful conditions for the deceased.
No Funeral Home, No Alternatives
One of the main issues contributing to the backlog is the absence of a dedicated funeral home in Honiara. The NRH morgue remains the only place where bodies can be temporarily stored while families make arrangements for burial, repatriation, or wait for legal and forensic processes to conclude.
“We are deeply concerned,” according to an official press statement. “Without another facility in the city, we are carrying the full burden, and it’s not sustainable.”
Possible Daily Fees for Unclaimed Bodies
To ease the pressure, the hospital is considering introducing a daily storage fee for bodies not collected within 48 hours of arrival. The proposed measure is aimed at encouraging timely collections and freeing up space.
However, hospital administrators are quick to acknowledge the real-world difficulties many families face, including financial hardship, transportation issues, and legal delays.
“We’re not trying to punish anyone,” said the spokesperson. “We’re here to help, and we will work with families who are struggling.”
Call for Long-Term Solutions
The NRH says this ongoing issue underscores a larger infrastructure problem: the urgent need for additional mortuary and funeral services in the city.
“This is not just a hospital issue. It’s a community issue,” the press statement said. “We hope this can be a wake-up call to authorities and potential partners to invest in a funeral home or expand existing morgue capacity.”
For now, hospital staff are doing their best to manage the situation while showing compassion and respect to both the deceased and their families.
“We want to ensure that everyone is treated with dignity,” the statement said. “But we also need support from the public to make that possible.”
