'We would publish notice for the next of kin.'

WHAT happens when a body is unclaimed?

In the case of Mr Aries Jasuwito, 25, whose body had lain in the morgue at Health Sciences Authority (HSA) for 23 days, the police finally managed to connect his family to his body.

Mr Aries had been found with no identification papers.

When a dead person has no next-of-kin (NOK) present or listed, the hospital will try all available means to get in touch with the NOK within seven days following death, said a National University Hospital spokesman.

"When all traces have proved unsuccessful, we will publish a notice. We will wait for another seven days for any NOK to come forth to acknowledge and claim the body," she said.

NUH will ensure that all possible efforts to trace any NOK are made before concluding that it is a genuine "unclaimed" case.

However, in coroner's cases, the body will be moved to the HSA morgue at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH).

This happens when there is reason to suspect that a person died in a sudden or unnatural manner, or by violence, or when the cause of death is unknown and in situations where the law requires an inquiry.

Bodies which are unclaimed will be managed in the most appropriate manner, and with dignity and respect, said the NUH spokesman.

"Cremation is the usual mode of disposal and this is handled by NUH's contracted undertaker," she said.
NUH will also ensure that all burial is done appropriately.

"For example, if the deceased is a Muslim, we will ensure that the burial is done appropriately and in accordance with the religious practice," she said.

When any NOK calls NUH asking if a family member has been sent to NUH, its call centre operator will ask the NOK to provide the full name of the person.

If there is a match in the NUH system listing of admitted patients, this will be further verified with some personal details (such as NRIC number or address) to ascertain it is the correct patient.

If the family member's details are not found in the system, the NUH call operator will call the Emergency Department to check if the family member is receiving treatment there.

"This procedure is applicable only if the patient or deceased can be identified and hence can be registered in our system," said the spokesman.

The New Paper also sent queries to HSA, Singapore General Hospital, Changi General Hospital and Tan Tock Seng Hospital. They did not reply by press time.

Ng Wan Ching

This article was first published in The New Paper.