Patiala, Sept. 21 -- At Government Mata Kaushalya Hospital, the district hospital in Patiala, the grief of losing a loved one is compounded by an additional ordeal: families are often left to fend for themselves to preserve the body, as the hospital's mortuary has remained defunct since 2021.

Dr Vikas Goyal, medical superintendent at Government Mata Kaushalya Hospital, confirmed that the mortuary had been lying defunct. He said the hospital authorities had written to the higher authorities to ensure that forensic experts were provided to make the mortuary functional.

According to the state health department, any MBBS-qualified medical officer can conduct a postmortem examination. Currently, mortuary services are available at district an...