The lack of a refrigerator to store dead bodies in the morgue at Paphos general hospital needs to be resolved immediately, the town’s mayor Angelos Onisiforou said on Tuesday.

“Respect for a person does not end with his death and the dignified management of the dead is an indicator of culture, humanity and seriousness of a state,” he said.

Onisiforou said that the current lack of correct storage facilities meant that the bodies of the deceased are being transferred to Limassol, placing an additional burden on families who are already going through a difficult time, and could cause them further suffering and stress.

He added that in Paphos, there were only three licensed funeral homes which operated with limited refrigeration capabilities and could not continue to cover “a responsibility that belongs to the competent state services”.

According to Onisiforou, the damage of the morgue refrigerator could be repaired by replacing a compressor.

In the meantime, he said, the district is left without basic infrastructure for the dignified management of the dead.

“[We call for] the immediate remediation of the problem without further delays,” Onisiforou said. 

The statement was issued after refrigeration units used for the preservation of bodies at the Paphos general hospital have been out of operation since last week.