Abena Osei-Asare plans unannounced visit to Korle Bu mortuary

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament has announced plans to conduct an unannounced inspection of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) main mortuary. This decision, announced by PAC Chairperson Abena Osei-Asare, follows reports from the hospital’s management claiming significant improvements in the facility's operations and sanitary conditions. The move aims to verify whether the hospital has rectified severe lapses identified by external auditors in June 2025, which included the improper storage of human body parts.

During a hearing with the committee, the management of Ghana's premier teaching hospital detailed several interventions implemented to upgrade the mortuary's standards. These include an expansion of cold-room capacity to better manage the volume of bodies and the installation of incinerators to ensure the proper disposal of medical and biological waste. Furthermore, management noted that staff have been provided with necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to improve safety and hygiene standards within the unit.

Addressing administrative and ethical concerns, the hospital leadership also revealed that three staff members were suspended following an incident involving the unauthorized release of a body. Despite these reported strides, some members of the PAC expressed skepticism, arguing that providing any advance notice of oversight visits could allow the hospital to temporarily mask ongoing issues. Chairperson Osei-Asare emphasized that the upcoming joint inspection with the Audit Service would be conducted without prior warning to ensure an authentic assessment of the facility.

To address the chronic issue of overcrowding at the morgue, the hospital management informed the committee that a public-private partnership (PPP) is currently being pursued. This project aims to construct a larger, modern mortuary facility that can meet the growing needs of the capital. The PAC underscored that the dignity of the deceased must remain a priority, noting that the legislative body will continue to monitor the hospital’s progress in modernizing its forensic and storage services.