Madam Speaker, with your permission, I wish first of all to convey my sincere condolences to the family of late Mr J. N. T. This is a very sad case. Out of respect for the deceased and for his family, I do not propose, at this stage, to delve into the painful circumstances of the deceased during his last days, nor into the circumstances which led to delays in the handing over of the body to the relatives. However, should supplementary questions specifically require that those details be made public, I will provide the relevant information to the House. Madam Speaker, I wish to state clearly that on the information available to me, the delay in handing over the body to the relative did not arise from shortcomings on the part of the Ministry of Health and Wellness or from the hospital mortuary services. The circumstances involved identification and related administrative processes outside the ordinary situation where a body of a patient who dies in hospital is promptly claimed and handed over to the family. Madam Speaker, with regard to the alleged incident at the time of handing over of the corpse, I am informed that there was a verbal complaint from the sister of the deceased regarding a problem of odour. I wish to place the technical facts before the House with clarity. Hospital mortuaries are designed primarily for the short-term storage of bodies of patients who pass away in hospitals and whose bodies are normally handed over to relatives within a relatively short period, generally within 24 hours to a few days and exceptionally up to around one week in ordinary circumstances. In our hospital mortuaries, bodies are stored at temperatures of around 2 to 4 degrees Celsius. International guidance is consistent with this practice. Ordinary refrigerated mortuary storage is around 4 degrees Celsius while freezer storage for long-term storage is around minus 20 degrees Celsius. It would, however, be scientifically incorrect and misleading to state that a body can be kept at 2 to 4 degrees Celsius for a fixed period without any risk of odour. Refrigeration slows decomposition. It does not stop decomposition. The appearance of odour depends on several factors, including the condition of the body at the time of death, the time elapsed before refrigeration, body habitus, infection, injuries, the presence of fluids, body bagging, handling conditions and the duration of storage. The important point is that ordinary positive temperature mortuary refrigeration at 2 to 4 degrees Celsius is for short-term storage. International practice indicates that storage extending beyond about 21 to 30 days is no longer ordinary short-term mortuary storage. Authoritative guidance recommends that after about 30 days in refrigerated storage, a body should be moved to frozen storage if it is not soon to be released or further examined, and earlier if the condition of the body so requires. For prolonged storage, the appropriate facility is, therefore, not ordinary 2 to 4 degrees Celsius refrigeration. It is freezer storage with an operating temperature around minus 20 degrees Celsius and with appropriate sealed leak resistant body bags and regular condition checks. Even then, freezing very substantially reduces decomposition and odour. It does not provide an absolute guarantee that no odour will ever occur, particularly when a body is subsequently moved, handled, solved or released after prolonged storage. In other words, Madam Speaker, the complaint regarding odour must be understood in its proper technical context. It is not evidence by itself of neglect by mortuary staff. It is a known consequence that may occur when a body is kept for a prolonged period in ordinary refrigerated mortuary conditions, which are not designed for long-term preservation. Madam Speaker, with regard to part (a) of the question, I am informed that no separate departmental inquiry has been initiated by the Ministry, as there were no written complaints submitted to the Ministry, and the technical explanation for the verbal complaint was known. This does not prevent any competent authority from taking any action within its own remit, should new facts or a formal complaint be submitted. I am informed that the Police have already started an inquiry into the case, and the inquiry is still ongoing. Madam Speaker, with regard to part (b) of the question, there is a protocol in place regarding the handing over of corpses to the families of deceased persons in hospital mortuaries. The relatives willing to take the deceased for burial are required to produce their Identity Card and a death certificate. Thereafter, the corpse of the deceased is handed over to the relatives, along with the death certificate, specifying the cause of death, in three copies. The relatives of the deceased can then proceed to the Single Point Office or Civil Status Office to declare their death and apply for burial permit thereat in case of burial, or the Single Point Office or Civil Status Office and District Health Office to declare their death and apply for the cremation permit. Madam Speaker, in the event the relatives are unwilling to take the deceased for burial, a written testimony is sought from the relative refusing to take the deceased corpse. Thereafter, the corpse is sent to the mortuary until further procedure by a Social Medical Worker and Health Office are completed for burial in accordance with established protocol. Madam Speaker, there are around 100 corpses lying in the mortuary of our public hospitals. In reply to Parliamentary Question B/42 of 17 March 2026, I informed the House that a new mortuary chamber was being installed at Dr. A.G. Jeetoo Hospital. I am glad to inform that the equipment is being installed and is expected to become operational in the days to come.

Yes, your first question!

Merci, Madame la présidente. Ce qui s'est passé est très grave. L'honorable ministre peut-il informer la Chambre comment une telle erreur a pu se produire et s'il y a eu une enquête ou sanction administrative à ce sujet, et qui sont les responsables pour l’instant ? Merci.

I had mentioned that this is such a delicate issue. I did not want to comment on that, but being given the question has been asked, I am duty bound to inform the House what has been the situation. There has been no case of negligence, Madam Speaker. On 08 October 2025, the victim was conveyed to Victoria Hospital by an ambulance. He was admitted there on 08 October 2025. On 17 October, he passed away. No relative paid him any visit. Completely unknown, he passed away. The autopsy was carried out by the Police Medical Officer on the same day, and the body was transferred to the New Flacq Hospital, also known as SAJ Hospital, because in Victoria Hospital, there was no place for corpses. After investigation, the Police received information that this victim was a resident of Saint-Jean Abri de nuit. The Police was able to find out. Abri de nuit was requested to identify the body, and it was unable to confirm the identity in the beginning. Then, according to the Police Criminal Record Office, the prints were lifted from the deceased, and it was known as one Mr G.N.A.P.T. According to information provided by the Police, Abri de nuit, after identification, agreed to assist the family for the funeral rights. The death was registered in the office at Rose Hill Civil Status for proposed burial at Trois Mamelles Cemetery. This information has been made available to me from Police records. The burial could not be carried out because no family was identified, and then Abri de nuit refused to conduct the burial. The burial could not be carried out. So, in January 2026, the body was still laying in Flacq Hospital. In January 2026, Abri de nuit contacted the Police to inform that one Mrs M.S.A.L. presented herself as the sister of G.N.A.P.T., and she had phoned to complain that her brother had been buried without her knowledge. That was in January. The date had not been mentioned. In January, Abri de nuit contacted the Police to inform that one Mrs M.S.A.L. has presented herself as the sister, and had phoned to complain that her brother had been buried without her knowledge. The Police requested Abri de nuit to inform that lady to contact Rose Hill Police Station. That was in January. From January till 24 June, no news of that lady…

We are talking of this year?

Of this year.

Yes.

From January to June, no news. In January, she had appeared once through telephone. She was requested to contact the Police. According to police information, there was no contact. Then on 24 June 2026, the sister contacted Abri de nuit once again, and she was informed that funeral had not been carried out. She was requested to contact the Police. The following day, I think she contacted the Police, and the Police informed her that the corpse of her brother was in the mortuary of Flacq Hospital. She phoned the Police on 24 June, the same day. The following day she was accompanied by the Police to the mortuary of New Flacq Hospital for identification purpose. The Police was informed that the corpse had been transferred to the old Flacq Hospital, that is Bruno Cheong Hospital, as the mortuary at the New Flacq Hospital was undergoing servicing. Then that lady identified the body of her brother by a tattoo mark on the chest. During the identification process, the lady made a verbal complaint that the body of her late brother has started to decompose. Now, as I have already mentioned, refrigeration does not stop decomposition, it slows it. A body kept in a mortuary for a prolonged period may have putrefactive changes. Smell can result from volatile compounds produced during putrefaction. The body was handed on 27 June 2026, and burial permit was issued to her at Poudre d’Or Cemetery. That is the information which are made available to me by the Police.

Okay. Next question!

Merci, Madame la présidente. Dans cette histoire, il y a différents sons de cloche. Je ne suis pas convaincue par la réponse.

Non, non, non, non! Question, I have said!

Oui, maintenant, je pose ma question.

Non, non, non. Mais avant, vous n'avez pas posé votre question !

Mais, maintenant, je pose.

Vous avez fait des commentaires !

Ok. Comme tout le monde d'ailleurs ici.

C'est extrêmement délicat.

Madame la présidente, l'honorable ministre est-il au courant d'allégation de trafic de cadavres dans les hôpitaux, et que peut-il dire à ce sujet ? Merci.

I am sorry, I do not have any news about it. You know, all the bodies – just imagine, Madam Speaker, we are not the guardian of bodies. The Police do not have any mortuary place to keep bodies. We have got almost one hundred bodies in our hospitals, and all these bodies are kept properly. As I told you, the more you delay in taking out the bodies, the more problems we do get.

We have got that.

But there has never been any such case which has been reported so far, at least for the last one and a half year, since we are in power. So, that is why I would say, there has not been any such case.

Okay.

One last.

Yes.

The Minister is saying that he is not the guardian of the bodies. Mais, à l'hôpital de Brown Sequard, où j'ai été rendre visite l'année dernière, le personnel qui travaille…

Comment va-t-il répondre à cette question ?

Madame la présidente, il est en train de dire qu'il n'est pas le gardien des corps qui se retrouvent dans les morgues dans les hôpitaux. Je pose une question : comment est-ce que le personnel hospitalier, qui travaille à effectif réduit, peuvent surveiller les gens malades et en même temps surveiller les corps qui sont dans la morgue ?

Madam Speaker, everybody knows what were the conditions of the country and of my Ministry when we took over. I do not deny the fact that we have got a lack of officers.

Minister, when you say, we are not the guardian of bodies, maybe you should be more specific because it gives an impression.

I just want to say that this responsibility has been entrusted upon us, but we are looking after them. We are doing whatever is possible. I have just mentioned that one new mortuary is under completion, and that will also help us and enable us to keep additional bodies. But the question of keeping bodies for long, we have got bodies which are lying there for years, and that becomes a big burden for us. At the same time, it is the responsibility of the Police. We have made a request to the Police, and I do hope they are looking into the possibility of getting away with those bodies, of course, according to the proper procedures.

Okay. We will come back one day on these issues – very important issue. It was very sad. Let us get back. Now, I am calling on Dr. Aumeer! RUISSEAU DU POUCE, TRANQUEBAR – RETAINING WALL CONSTRUCTION