Replies to LegCo questions

LCQ12: Removal of bodies of persons certified dead in public places

     Following is a question by the Hon Fred Li and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (October 20):

 

     Question:

 

     It has been reported that on the 30th of last month, an elderly man fell from height in Hung Hom and lay near a bus stop. He was certified dead by the ambulance crew at the scene, but his body was left lying for more than two hours on the street before it was removed by the workmen of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department(FEHD). Many passers-by and passengers waiting at the bus stop were disturbed at the sight of the dead body. Moreover, according to the new guidelines promulgated by the Hospital Authority (HA)last month, public hospitals will no longer admit people who have been certified dead by ambulance crew at the scene. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

 

(a)    of the details of the new guidelines;

 

(b)    whether, upon the implementation of the new guidelines, the waiting time for the removal of bodies of persons certified dead at public places has become longer; if so, whether it has assessed if the relevant arrangements amount to disrespect to the deceased; and

 

(c)    whether it will review the procedure for handling bodies of persons certified dead at public places, so that the bodies of the deceased will be removed expeditiously?

 

     Reply:

 

(a)    In July 2004, the HA wrote to the Fire Services Department (FSD) suggesting that the Accident and Emergency Department in HA hospitals are not the appropriate facilities for receiving obviously dead bodies, e.g. those heavily charred. In such cases, the appropriate action is to remove the deceased directly to the mortuaries. This arrangement has no bearing on the time needed for removing dead bodies.

 

(b) & (c)  On arrival of the ambulance crew at a scene where there are reported injured and/or dead persons, the crew will examine the injured and/or apparently dead persons to see if there is any sign of life. Any injured person with signs of life will be delivered to public hospitals as quickly as possible. For any body certified dead, the Police have to conduct enquiries at the scene before the dead body is removed in order to ensure that evidence essential to possible subsequent criminal investigation or death inquest is secured. Upon completion of the investigation process, the Police will notify the dead removal team of the FEHD to remove the dead body to a public mortuary.  Under normal circumstances, subject to the location and traffic conditions, FEHD staff can remove the dead body from the scene in about 30 to 60 minutes after notification by the Police. The departments involved are mindful of the need to keep any inconvenience and disturbance to the public to a minimum throughout the handling of such a case.

 

     In the present case, the enquiries conducted by the Police included ascertaining the location of the fall and the cause of death. The dead body was covered during the entire investigation process.

 

     The departments concerned will continue to take prompt actions to complete dead body removal process within the shortest time possible without compromising the necessary investigations.

 

Ends/Wednesday, October 20, 2004

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