Serious allegations about the handling of human remains have emerged following the recent case of a British national whose body was initially reported missing but was later found in a refrigerated unit at the Nicosia General Hospital mortuary under a different name.
The incident prompted a police investigation and has renewed attention on longstanding concerns about staffing shortages, procedures and coordination within Cyprus' mortuary system.
Funeral director alleges widespread problems
Speaking on Sigma TV's Mesimeri Kai Kati, funeral home owner Vana Kekkouri claimed problems in hospitals and mortuaries are frequent and extend well beyond the latest case.
"It is a daily phenomenon for us. There is so much chaos in the hospitals that we cannot work," she said.
Kekkouri alleged that the body in question was transferred from Paphos General Hospital to Nicosia by a private funeral operator whom she claimed presents himself as working on behalf of the police.
She further questioned the licensing and operation of the funeral business involved, raising concerns about embalming procedures and documentation.
Allegations over bodies and organ removal
Kekkouri also made serious allegations regarding the handling of bodies, claiming there had been complaints involving remains being transferred "without organs".
She further alleged inappropriate links between a private operator and police authorities.
The allegations have not been independently verified, and no official findings supporting the claims were cited in the report.
Matsakis points to staffing shortages
Forensic pathologist Marios Matsakis said the latest incident highlights structural problems within Cyprus' forensic services.
According to Matsakis, a single mortuary technician currently serves the entire country, while all forensic post-mortem examinations are effectively concentrated in Nicosia.
He argued that the shortage of personnel, combined with the need to transport bodies from across Cyprus to the capital, increases the risk of mistakes and administrative errors.
Focus remains on missing body case
The controversy follows confirmation by the Health Ministry that the supposedly missing body had never left the Nicosia mortuary and had been incorrectly recorded due to a naming error.
The ministry described the incident as an oversight that caused unnecessary distress to relatives and those involved in arranging the repatriation of the deceased.
