Ahead of the Balinese holiday of Galungan, the morgue in Sanglah Hospital is reportedly overcapacity by more than double the amount of bodies.
There are currently 30 bodies deposited in the morgue, consisting of locals, people from other regions, as well as foreigners, according to Tribun Bali.
“As of Monday, there were a total of 30 bodies deposited at the forensic installation of Sanglah Hospital. The entire cooling unit in which there are 14 spaces is completely filled by bodies,” explained Dr. Ida Bagus Putu Alit, head of forensics.
While only 14 of the bodies can be stored in a cooling unit, the remaining 16 are reportedly stored in coffins
“Before put in the coffins, the corpses are embalmed, so as not to rot,” explained Alit.
Sometimes there’s a backlog of bodies in Bali when there’s a particular ceremony and the bodies cannot be taken home or buried until the ceremony is completed, according to the doctor.
Bodies have been left up to two months before because of such traditional ceremonies, says Alit.
Illustration: Wikimedia Commons
