The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament has announced plans to conduct an unannounced inspection of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) mortuary to verify claims of improved facilities, proper waste disposal and increased body storage capacity.
The decision follows an Auditor-General’s performance audit that uncovered human tissues stored in black plastic bags outside the mortuary in June 2025, raising serious concerns about mortuary management, public health and healthcare standards in Ghana.
Speaking at a parliamentary hearing on Monday, October 19, 2026, PAC Chairperson Abena Osei-Asare said the Committee would visit the facility alongside the Audit Service to establish whether the hospital’s reported improvements reflect the actual conditions on the ground.
She warned that appropriate sanctions could be imposed if management’s claims, made under oath, were found to be inaccurate.
Korle Bu Mortuary Reports Major Improvements
Management of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital told the Committee that several measures had been introduced to improve mortuary operations and ensure the safe handling of human remains.
Hospital officials said an incinerator was now being used to dispose of body parts and related waste, while a licensed contractor handled residual waste.
The hospital also reported that its cold-room storage capacity had increased from 270 bodies, as recorded during the earlier audit, to more than 500 bodies. The Mortuaries and Funeral Facilities Agency confirmed that a recent compliance inspection established the facility’s capacity at 537 bodies.
Additional measures include the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) to mortuary attendants, staff training in infection prevention and control, and the installation of CCTV cameras throughout the facility.
Management further disclosed that three employees involved in the unauthorised release of a body on May 5, 2025, had been suspended without pay for three months and reassigned.
PAC Demands Accountability and Proper Mortuary Management
Despite the reported improvements, some Committee members questioned whether the hospital’s claims accurately reflected its normal operating conditions.
The PAC Chairperson stressed that an unannounced inspection was necessary to independently verify the situation and ensure compliance with the required standards for handling and storing human remains.
She also emphasised the importance of treating deceased persons with dignity and maintaining proper hygiene and safety standards in public hospital mortuaries.
Korle Bu Considers New Mortuary and Funeral Home
The Committee was also informed that a proposed public-private partnership to develop a larger mortuary and funeral home at Korle Bu had reached the ministerial stage.
If approved, the project is expected to ease overcrowding and improve the hospital’s capacity to store bodies safely.
Hospital officials attributed the persistent pressure on the existing mortuary partly to Korle Bu’s role as both a major tertiary healthcare institution and a key facility in Accra for keeping unidentified and unclaimed bodies.
The planned PAC inspection is expected to provide further clarity on the hospital’s progress in addressing the audit findings and improving mortuary safety, sanitation, healthcare accountability and public hospital services in Ghana.
Source: newsthemegh.com