The story of the “missing” body from the morgue of Paphos General Hospital. Audit Office Press Secretary Giota Michael stated on the Alpha News program that the Audit Office has already identified and documented the risks of misidentification of corpses in a report published about a month ago, which noted that “the way the state treats the deceased is a measure of civilization, dignity, and respect.”
Ms. Michael noted that officials from the Audit Office had visited the morgue at Paphos General Hospital following a malfunction in the refrigerator used to preserve the bodies.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
“One of our findings was the risk of incorrect identification of remains, which we discovered when we noted that the forms for the receipt, transport, and delivery of remains from Paphos General Hospital to Limassol General Hospital when the malfunction occurred, we identified several weaknesses that led us to conclude that there are gaps in the mechanisms for controlling and tracking the remains, which create the risk of incorrect recording of their location where they are stored and, of course, difficulties in locating them when necessary.”
The chronology of the “missing” body…
As reported by Alpha Cyprus correspondent Kostas Nanos in the city and district of Paphos, 48 hours ago, a funeral home employee went to the Paphos General Hospital morgue to collect the remains of a British citizen so they could be transported to his home country for burial.
However, it was discovered that the body was missing, and the police were immediately notified; they began an investigation to identify and locate the deceased. Using the deceased’s passport, it became apparent that the body was inside the freezer, but a different name was written on the freezer door.
The unfortunate British man had traveled to Paphos on September 9, 2026. As soon as the plane landed and attempts were being made to disembark him using a special device—since he was confined to a wheelchair—he lost consciousness. He was transported by ambulance to Paphos General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. During the legally mandated autopsy performed on his remains at Nicosia General Hospital, it was determined that he had suffered a myocardial infarction.
Pending the results of scientific tests on samples taken from the British man’s body and the procedures required for repatriation, his body remained in the morgue’s refrigerator at Paphos General Hospital.
