"There's no room in the mortuary. Take your loved one's body home."

"Take your loved one's body home, there's no room in the mortuary": this is the message given in recent days (and it's not the first time it's happened) to the relatives of an elderly woman who died in Tempio Pausania hospital. Immediately after the pensioner's death, the family was shocked to learn that they had to immediately arrange for the patient's body to be transferred from the hospital room where she was being treated to a home of their choosing.

A situation that has occurred on other occasions, causing protests from the relatives of the deceased person.

According to hospital staff, the mortuary's availability is not guaranteed. The Local Health Authority (ASL) allows the Paolo Dettori Hospital to be used by families who request to transfer the remains of loved ones who died at home to the mortuary.

An opportunity that is evidently being seized, but with only a few rooms available the service doesn't work.

Andrea Busia