A morgue employee at the Maternity General Hospital in Al-Ahsa is under investigation for allegedly going home with the morgue's keys, forcing families to wait for hours to get the bodies of their loved ones for burial. The father of Fatima Sari Al-Hamoud, said that the alleged absence of the hospital employee delayed the handing over of his daughter's body. He said he was informed of her death at 5.00 A.M. Despite all attempts to get possession of the body before temperatures started soaring in the governorate, he was handed the body at 11.00 A.M. She was buried in Al-Mubarraz Graveyard at noon when temperatures topped 49 degrees Centigrade. In addition, it has also been alleged that there was a delay in the handing over to the morgue the bodies of two male infants, who were prematurely delivered on Thursday night. This was also allegedly delayed until 11.00 A.M. on Friday. Okaz has learnt that the employee concerned had taken the morgue's keys with him at the end of his working hours at 11.00 P.M. on Thursday. Despite repeated attempts by hospital officials to contact him, his mobile telephone was switched off until 11.00 A.M. on Friday, when he came to the hospital with the keys and handed over the body of the girl to her family. In a related development, Okaz noticed that the water supply was cut off in the Maternity Hospital for two hours on Friday. This allegedly forced the medical and nursing staff to delay some surgeries and deliveries. Also, the hospital laundry for washing dirty linen and bed sheets allegedly stopped working. A number of hospitalized patients and outpatients expressed their anger at the sudden cut in water supply because this resulted in foul odors and led to a disruption of vital facilities and services. The Directorate of Health Affairs in Al-Ahsa Governorate has pledged to investigate the employee who allegedly locked the hospital morgue for 12 hours. It has been learnt that there is no back-up worker for the employee at the hospital morgue. In a telephonic interview, Hussein Al-Rawi Al-Ruwaili, Director of Health Affairs, said an investigation committee will start Saturday to investigate the employee. The directorate will not be lenient with any negligent employee, he said. Al-Ruwaili added: “Breakdowns can happen at any moment.” He said the Directorate of Health Affairs in Al-Ahsa has agreements with water contractors to bring water to the hospital and fill its tank regularly.
