A long-neglected mortuary at St. George Hospital in South Mumbai has been transformed into a state-of-the-art post-mortem centre through a citizen-driven initiative supported by local elected representatives. The upgraded facility, which is now fully operational, features modern infrastructure, a 24-body cold storage system and a dedicated viewing gallery for medical students.
The renovated complex was formally inaugurated on Tuesday by Rahul Narwekar, marking the completion of a project that began after concerns were raised about the deteriorating condition of the hospital’s mortuary.
The initiative was spearheaded by Renu Kapoor, founder of the Dignity in Death Foundation. Kapoor decided to take up the issue after visiting the mortuary to collect the post-mortem report of her driver. Disturbed by the poor state of the facility, including damaged infrastructure and the absence of essential amenities such as an ice plant, she mobilised a group of 34 Colaba residents to advocate for a comprehensive upgrade.
Speaking at the inauguration, Rahul Narwekar highlighted the significance of the project for South Mumbai’s healthcare infrastructure. “This hospital handles a large number of accident cases. A high-quality post-mortem facility was the need of the hour in South Mumbai. With full cooperation from the state government, we have successfully delivered a state-of-the-art mortuary at St. George Hospital,” he said.
Expressing satisfaction over the transformation, Kapoor said, “It is heartening for citizens to see this beautiful new structure, complete with a viewing gallery for students and pristine white interiors. We have moved from a dilapidated room with broken doors to a state-of-the-art centre where the cold storage rooms can now respectfully accommodate up to 24 bodies. This has become possible due to sustained citizen efforts, and we sincerely thank our MLA Rahul Narwekar and corporators Makarand Narwekar and Gauravi Shivalkar for their unwavering support,” she said.
Present at the event, BJP corporator Makarand Narwekar praised the contribution of local citizens, noting that community participation played a crucial role in bringing the project to completion.
Source: The Free Press Journal
