A parliamentary question addresses the handling of bodies in Pilbara hospital morgues, revealing extended storage times in Port Hedland but no cases delayed due to funeral cost issues.

AnsweredQoN 652Legislative Assembly
Asked
8 September 2009
Portfolio
Health

QuestionView source ↗

PILBARA HOSPITAL MORGUES
(1) Can the minister detail how many bodies, on average, have been held over the past five weeks in each of the Pilbara hospital morgues? (2) Have any of those bodies remained in the morgue awaiting burial for more than two weeks; and, if yes, in which hospitals and for how long have these bodies been awaiting burial? (3) How many of these are unable to be transferred to funeral directors because no-one is able to pay the funeral costs? Dr K.D. HAMES

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member, and the Leader of the Opposition, for some notice of this question. The answer provided to me is as follows — (1) For Marble Bar, nil; Newman, one; Nickol Bay, six; Paraburdoo, nil; Port Hedland, seven; Tom Price, one; and Wickham, nil. (2) Six bodies at Port Hedland have been waiting for more than two weeks for burial. (3) The answer provided to me for the number of cases in which the reason is that no-one has been able to pay the funeral costs, is none.
(2) Have any of those bodies remained in the morgue awaiting burial for more than two weeks; and, if yes, in which hospitals and for how long have these bodies been awaiting burial? (3) How many of these are unable to be transferred to funeral directors because no-one is able to pay the funeral costs? Dr K.D. HAMES replied: I thank the member, and the Leader of the Opposition, for some notice of this question. The answer provided to me is as follows — (1) For Marble Bar, nil; Newman, one; Nickol Bay, six; Paraburdoo, nil; Port Hedland, seven; Tom Price, one; and Wickham, nil. (2) Six bodies at Port Hedland have been waiting for more than two weeks for burial. (3) The answer provided to me for the number of cases in which the reason is that no-one has been able to pay the funeral costs, is none.
(3) How many of these are unable to be transferred to funeral directors because no-one is able to pay the funeral costs? Dr K.D. HAMES replied: I thank the member, and the Leader of the Opposition, for some notice of this question. The answer provided to me is as follows — (1) For Marble Bar, nil; Newman, one; Nickol Bay, six; Paraburdoo, nil; Port Hedland, seven; Tom Price, one; and Wickham, nil. (2) Six bodies at Port Hedland have been waiting for more than two weeks for burial. (3) The answer provided to me for the number of cases in which the reason is that no-one has been able to pay the funeral costs, is none.
Dr K.D. HAMES replied: I thank the member, and the Leader of the Opposition, for some notice of this question. The answer provided to me is as follows — (1) For Marble Bar, nil; Newman, one; Nickol Bay, six; Paraburdoo, nil; Port Hedland, seven; Tom Price, one; and Wickham, nil. (2) Six bodies at Port Hedland have been waiting for more than two weeks for burial. (3) The answer provided to me for the number of cases in which the reason is that no-one has been able to pay the funeral costs, is none.
I thank the member, and the Leader of the Opposition, for some notice of this question. The answer provided to me is as follows — (1) For Marble Bar, nil; Newman, one; Nickol Bay, six; Paraburdoo, nil; Port Hedland, seven; Tom Price, one; and Wickham, nil. (2) Six bodies at Port Hedland have been waiting for more than two weeks for burial. (3) The answer provided to me for the number of cases in which the reason is that no-one has been able to pay the funeral costs, is none.
(1) For Marble Bar, nil; Newman, one; Nickol Bay, six; Paraburdoo, nil; Port Hedland, seven; Tom Price, one; and Wickham, nil. (2) Six bodies at Port Hedland have been waiting for more than two weeks for burial. (3) The answer provided to me for the number of cases in which the reason is that no-one has been able to pay the funeral costs, is none.
(2) Six bodies at Port Hedland have been waiting for more than two weeks for burial. (3) The answer provided to me for the number of cases in which the reason is that no-one has been able to pay the funeral costs, is none.
(3) The answer provided to me for the number of cases in which the reason is that no-one has been able to pay the funeral costs, is none.

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