New Amsterdam Hospital mortuary undergoing upgrades

Region Six Regional Executive Officer Ronald Harsawack says the mortuary at the New Amsterdam Public Hospital is currently undergoing repairs following problems with its aging freezer unit.

Speaking during the Region Six Regional Democratic Council’s monthly statutory meeting on Thursday, Harsawack explained that when the New Amsterdam Hospital was constructed more than two decades ago, the freezer from the old hospital was transferred and installed at the new facility’s mortuary. He said that the unit has since developed mechanical problems.

To address the issue, the Ministry of Health has procured a replacement freezer, which has already arrived in Guyana. Harsawack said a contractor has been engaged to install the new equipment, although he did not indicate when the work would be completed.

In the meantime, bodies are being temporarily stored at the mortuary of the National Psychiatric Hospital, which is located a short distance from the New Amsterdam Public Hospital.

Harsawack explained that post-mortem examinations are still being carried out at the New Amsterdam Hospital. Once those procedures are completed, the bodies are transported to the National Psychiatric Hospital, where they remain until relatives collect them.

He noted that the freezer at the National Psychiatric Hospital has a capacity of only 10 bodies. Should that facility reach full capacity, the Regional Administration is making arrangements with two private funeral homes to provide additional storage at the administration’s expense.

“So there is no crisis in terms of storing bodies because we can accommodate them at the National Psychiatric Hospital until we are up and running at the New Amsterdam Hospital,” Harsawack said.