Arunachal: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju donates mortuary van in TRIHMS amid shortage

Union Minister for Earth Sciences Kiren Rijiju donated one mortuary van, bringing the total count to two

The Tomo Riba Institute for Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS) in Naharlagun, Arunachal Pradesh, the state’s inaugural medical college, is grappling with a scarcity of mortuary vans.

Union Earth Sciences Minister Kiren Rijiju stepped in to donate one mortuary van, bringing the total count to two.

Dr. Dukhum Raina informed that TRIHMS, as the primary healthcare facility in the region, currently possesses only a single mortuary van, including the recent contribution from Minister Rijiju.

Dr. Raina emphasized the vital role these vans play in transporting deceased patients back to their homes or villages, particularly for poor families unable to afford transportation.

Dr Raina stated, “It is very important for a mortuary van for a hospital as a patient comes for treatment in the hospital and we try to save the patients but unfortunately some patients die. With two mortuary vans, it will be a little bit easier to deliver the dead bodies to their families.

The initial proposal for additional mortuary vans had been presented during the earlier days of TRIHMS, but it went unheard. To address the immediate need, the hospital managed to purchase one vehicle to fulfil the purpose.

Subsequently, when the COVID-19 pandemic struck and led to an increased number of fatalities, the government provided another mortuary van.

Dr Raina expressed the requirement for two more mortuary vehicles to effectively meet the demands, especially considering that TRIHMS experiences an annual death rate of around 19-20 per cent. He further conveyed his intention to approach the government with a proposal to sanction the necessary vehicles.

With the pressing need for proper facilities to manage deceased patients and the existing shortage at TRIHMS, Dr Raina called on the state government to address this critical issue.

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