Pune: Four Freezers at Aundh District Hospital Mortuary Still Broken Despite Repair Claims

Out of the six freezers in the mortuary at Aundh District Hospital (ADH), four are non-operational, with only two fully functional. Pune district MLAs even questioned Maharashtra Health Minister Tanaji Sawant regarding the accuracy of a report published in The Free Press Journal on May 6, which highlighted the same issue.

Confirming the report, Sawant said, "It is true that four mortuary cabinets had broken down due to technical failure. However, these cabinets were immediately repaired and are now in use."

Reality paints diff picture

However, the reality paints a different picture as sources from the hospital confirmed that the four refrigerators are still not functional.

“The four non-operational freezers were repaired and restarted a month ago, but their compressors broke down during trials. The agency responsible for repairs is working on resuming their function. As per the sources, the agency tasked with the repairs siphoned money from the hospital under the guise of completing the work. Although the temperature of these freezers should be below 6 degrees, the refrigerator is not able to cool below 26 degrees, leading to the decomposition of bodies stored in them. Currently, only two freezers are in operation," informed a source.

Dr Praveen Kanade, Head of the Mortuary Department at Aundh District Hospital, said, “Till recently, the refrigerator was working fine but on Friday the compressor got faulty. We have informed the heads and it will be rectified,” he added.

However, Dr. Nagnath Yempalay, district civil surgeon and head of ADH, clarified, “All six units are working fine. Last month only we got it repaired. I have the reports with me.”

During the state assembly, the MLAs also inquired about the status of CT scan and MRI machines at the hospital, which have reportedly been out of service for the past two months. Additionally, they asked if there was a shortage of doctors, nurses, and security personnel and if the existing staff were neglecting their duties, causing difficulties for patients and their relatives.

Sawant confirmed that the CT scan and MRI facilities are currently unavailable as the contract with the previous service provider has ended. "The new contractor is assessing the area and installing the necessary equipment. Once the setup is complete, CT scan, MRI, and other facilities will resume," he said.