Sharjah hospital to get more morgue spaces

Sharjah: Al Qasimi Hospital will increase its mortuary capacity by 12 spaces within two weeks.

"We do not have a morgue shortage but are merely taking the initiative to increase our facilities in the Northern Emirates," said Dr Ameen Al Amiri, Chairman of the Board of Directors at the hospital.

There are currently 14 morgue spaces at Al Qasimi Hospital.

"The only reason why a delay [in placing a body in the morgue] will occur is when an accident happens outside the hospital and we will have to wait for a police report before admitting the victim's body," said Dr Alan Sandford, Chief Executive of Al Qasimi Hospital.

The comment was made in response to a recent Gulf News report that said a man's body was kept for four hours in an ambulance due to a lack of morgue spaces at hospitals in Sharjah.

The body was eventually kept at Sharjah Police's forensic laboratory.