Morgue called 'a disgrace'

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32541, 26 February 1971, Page 1

Morgue called ' a disgrace '

(N.I. Prtu Association) AUCKLAND, Feb. 25. The Auckland public morgue is a disgrace, a world-famous patholo-

gist, Professor Keith < Simpson, said at ter in* i specting the morgue to* 1 day. “In all my life I have not: seen such a disgracefully de-' relict mortuary purporting to perform a public service,” he said. "I feel dirty. I still imagine I can smell the place on my clothes. I feel I want to go back to my hotel and have a good wash.” Professor Simpson said the whole place was disintegrating. TUes were falling off the walls. The two extractor fans had paper tacked beside them to show if they were working. “It is a disgrace,” he said. “If relatives have not so far raised a public outcry, I can’t see why. I know that strong pressure has been brought by those who ate connected with it to have the whole thing demolished—the only

thing that could be done with 1 it. 1 “You leave the place with! your clothing smelling of formalin.” 1 Professor Simpson, pro- ’ fessor of forensic medicine at ’ Guy’s Hospital, London, has seen public mortuaries in many parts of the world. 1 He has been a consultant; to Scotland Yard for 30 i years. He was a member of ‘ a Home Office committee set, up to inspect mortuaries, throughout Britain. "I have a brilliant New. Zealand research student working with me in London and he wants to come back here. If he were asked to work in these Conditions, I’m sure he would stay away,” said Professor Simpson. He considered the morgue was designed to accept 300 to 400 bodies a year. Instead, : it was receiving 500 a year from the Auckland Hospital , and 1000 from the Coroner’s ■ department, and would re- ; ceive another 500 a year ; once Auckland Hospital ex- ; tensions were completed. I Professor Simpson, who s came to New Zealand to ' address a medical conference

in Palmerston North, will leave Auckland for the United States this evening. A spokesman for Auckland Hospital said today that it Was the statutory responsibility of local bodies in this case the Auckland City Council to provide public mortuary facilities. He realised there was a need to imEs the buildings and faciThe Auckland morgue, which is jointly used by the hospital board and the Justice Department, and is also under Auckland City Council jurisdiction, has been the subject of local criticism from time to time.

A spokesman for the Auckland City Council Town Clerk’s department said the council was well aware of the state of the mortuary.

He said the question of improving and replacing the building had been considered several years ago, but the council had thought it was not its job to provide a new • mortuary.

Asked why day-to-day maintenance appeared to be poor, he said: “It’s the job of the hospital board to maintain it on a day-to-day basis.”

Asked why tiles which had fallen off the wall had npt been replaced, he said “What is the point of putting them back if the whole building is out of kilter?” Just because tiles were off the wall, there was no reason to suspect that the place was not actually clean, he said. It seemed the building would remain in its present state until a decision was made by the Government on who should be responsible for mortuaries. •