Recent actions at Benue State University Teaching Hospital, known as BSUTH and located in Makurdi, involved the burial of 74 unclaimed corpses found in its morgue.
The task of evacuating and burying these bodies was carried out by the Benue State Sanitation Agency, also referred to as BENSESA.
Approval for the immediate removal and burial of these corpses was granted by Governor Hyacinth Alia of the State on a Monday.
Chief Medical Director, Dr. Terungwa Hwande of BSUTH in Makurdi, informed journalists about this development the following day.
Dr. Hwande commended Governor Alia for his swift response that facilitated the timely disposal of the bodies, some of which had been in the morgue for as long as five years.
He emphasized the potential hazards these unclaimed corpses posed to the hospital community, highlighting the risk of outbreaks of mutant diseases and other public health threats.
Ensuring proper procedures were followed, the hospital placed advertisements in both print and electronic media outlets to alert the public about the evacuation of the bodies.
In addition, notifications were sent to security agencies and relevant ministries to coordinate their involvement in the evacuation and subsequent burial process.
Ultimately, the unclaimed bodies were laid to rest in a mass burial at the public cemetery in Makurdi.