Pathology Department to start school for mortuary technicians

Accra, April 17, GNA - The Pathology Department of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital is to establish a training school for mortuary technicians as part of a programme to upgrade the department and improve upon service delivery.

Professor Agyemang Badu Akorsa, Head of the Department, said when the school is set up, it would serve the whole of West Africa since there is no institution in the sub-region training people with scientific knowledge on how to handle dead bodies.

He said these trained personnel would replace mortuary attendants. Prof. Akorsa was speaking on Monday during a tour of projects at the hospital by Professor Kwaku Danso Boafo, Minister of Health, and some officials, including Dr. Henry Holdbrook-Smith, Chief Executive of the Hospital.

Prof. Akorsa said even though the building to house the school is not yet ready, some 30 technicians with Senior Secondary School Certificates would begin an 18-month training from September, this year, as a first step.

The course will lead to the award of a certificate, which will be upgraded to a diploma later. He said currently all mortuary attendants are untrained labourers with very little experience on how to handle dead bodies with dignity and relate to the bereaved families.

"Because most of these attendants are untrained, they are usually rude to bereaved families and do not take time to answer questions and they are usually drunk."

He stressed the need for the training of more pathologists since there are only eight in the country with none in the regional or district hospitals. The Chief pathologist said currently the mortuaries are congested since two or three bodies are piled on one another.

This, he added, creates more problems as the refrigerators break down and the bodies are not properly preserved. The tour took the Minster to various project sites, including the SSNIT and nurses flats, the Drug Manufacturing Units, Medical Block and Renal Dialysis Units.

At the SSNIT flats, Mr Edward Botchway, the Site Architect, told the Minister that four billion cedis would be needed to complete a six-block SSNIT flat, which is almost nearing completion.

"When completed, it is expected that some 90 families would be housed in it." Prof. Danso Boafo expressed satisfaction with the on-going projects and called on the contractors and SSNIT not to abandon the work on the SSNIT flats.