The Health Ministry has attributed the case of a body reported “missing” from the Nicosia mortuary to an error in the placement of a name. It emerged that the body had never been removed from the mortuary.
A report in the newspaper Phileleftheros today said that a funeral home arriving to collect the body of a British national was unable to locate it, and that the case was referred to the Police for investigation.
The man had died in Paphos about a month ago and was taken to Nicosia General Hospital for an autopsy. His body remained there until arrangements were made for its transfer abroad.
'Oversight'
The body was eventually found at the Nicosia mortuary, with the name having been placed incorrectly.
Health Ministry Press Spokesperson Dimitris Constantinou told CNA that “the specific mistake happened due to an oversight. It should not have happened; it caused very great distress for no reason”.
Asked about the problems facing the Forensic Medicine Service, given that a mortuary operates only in Nicosia, Constantinou said that transport issues and the Forensic Medicine Service “are matters of concern to the Ministry of Health”.
Source: CNA
