BURIAL DELAYED

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20989, 18 October 1933, Page 6

BURIAL DELAYED

J)E.\TJ! IN NEW PLYMOUTH HOSPITAL NEW PLYMOUTH, October IT. A delay of eight days in the burial of an old man, Mr James Gray, who died in the New Plymouth Public Hospital on September 11, was the subject of a statement by the chairman, Mr P. E. Stainton, at a meeting of the hospital board this afternoon. After hearing reports from the hospital officials, the chairman said that adequate steps had been taken to avoid any similar occurrence in the future. His investigations showed that the procedure which had been in operation in the hospital for years had been followed. The relatives of the dead man were immediately notified of iiis death. The apparent indifference of two nephews of Mr Gray was the main cause of the delay in the burial. They refused to accept the responsibility of burying their uncle, and during Die whole time the body lay in the mortuary until the burial the search for other relatives was prosecuted. The board received various reports, but took no further action.