The Chief implementer of National Task Force COVID-19 Carlito Galvez Jr. said on Sunday that the government is making efforts to ensure that bodies of those who died due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) will not pile up in hospitals.

This was after Galvez made the reports about the bodies that are supposedly at the East Avenue Medical Center in Quezon City, the bodies are already piling up on the hallways due to lack of body bags.

In an interview in Dobol B sa News TV, he said that the  Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Office of Civil Defense policy, it is that they will recover the bodies in the hospitals for proper disposition.

Galves said, “Kapag nag-report ang ospital na merong cadaver, kinukuha nila. Ang [gusto] namin ay talagang malinis ang ospital ng mga cadaver.”

He added that in order to contain the contamination, the rule is to cremate the body within 12 hours upon death. However, in some hospitals, the problem is the relatives of the deceased just leave the bodies behind.

“Ang nagiging problema natin kasi ay ‘yung mga pasyente, iniiwan na lang ng mga pamilya so nahihirapan ang ospital na i-identify. Kasi talagang dapat bago i-cremate dapat i-identify.”

“Pero ngayon ang ginawa natin, basta 12 hours, kuhanan lang ng picture, dapat talaga i-cremate because it will have health implications. So napagkasunduan na ‘yun kahapon,” Galves said.

However, the East Avenue Medical Center has denied the reports that they lack body bags for the cadavers and the hospital’s administration staff said that they had a steady supply of the product.

The hospital has assured the public that bodies were not piling up at the back of the hospitas and is in the coordination of the government authorities.

Also the Department of Health said that they did not issue a directive order to the hospitals to conceal the number of COVID-19 deaths, based on the reports.

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