Process to bury unclaimed bodies will be 'seamless,' says NLHS

Four months after legislation came into effect to speed up the process of burying dozens of unclaimed bodies that are being held in freezers at a hospital in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador's health authority says the plan is nearly ready.

Earlier this month, CBC News reported Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services hadn't buried a single body since legislation came into effect.

"What's held it up is, really, us mobilizing around the new regulations, getting all the processes in place," Ron Johnson, chief operating officer of the NLHS eastern-urban zone, told reporters on Monday.

Johnson said NLHS has issued a tender in search of a funeral home to partner with the health authority to handle the burials. The tender closes on June 10, and he expects it to be awarded before June 13.

Johnson said he anticipates the burials will be a "seamless process."

WATCH | Here are the steps that must be taken to try and identify an unclaimed body:

New website to help connect unclaimed remains and next of kin online soon, says NLHS

1 day ago

Duration 1:16

There is a new process when it comes to burying unclaimed bodies in Newfoundland and Labrador. While legislation came into effect at the start of this year, there have been no burials. But as the CBC’s Elizabeth Whitten reports, the province's health authority vows that is changing.

According to the amended legislation, which was filed on Dec. 24 and came into effect on Jan. 1, NLHS has the power to bury unclaimed bodies after two weeks of searching for next of kin and then five days after the person is posted on a dedicated website.

Johnson said the health authority will then work with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to validate they have done their due diligence in trying to find the next of kin.

"And then we can do a proper burial that's with dignity and respect," he said.

Website launch

The website meant to help connect families with their deceased loved ones is expected to launch this week, as per the legislation.

The site will be publicly accessible, contain names and some additional information "to see if anyone is going to come forward," Johnson said.

CBC News first reported the health authority was storing bodies in freezer units in an alleyway on hospital property more than a year ago. It was due to a lack of space in the morgue, which doubles as the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Over the summer, NLHS relocated the freezers to the hospital's underground parking garage and built a wall around it.

The initial story reported that 28 bodies were in storage at the time. As of Monday morning, Johnson said there were 26 bodies in long-term storage. 

However, he said, he expects there won't be a build up in long-term storage and it won't be a persistent problem.

"I think the new regulations and the processes in place, the new facility, all of it together — we should be able to do this better and quicker."

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