John Culatto
GIBRALTAR’S St Bernard’s hospital will re-open its mortuary facility in mid-August to allow people to grieve for their loved ones after they pass away.
The Gibraltar Health Authority (GHA) announced the new mortuary will be located at the site of the old hospital chapel.
GHA Director General Patrick Geoghegan said he had reached an agreement with the Catholic Church to relocate its chapel to another area of the hospital.
He had promised to re-open the mortuary at a public meeting on May 16.
The GHA said in a statement it closed down the hospital mortuary to ‘expand and improve the much used and necessary A&E services’.
But after the COVID-19 pandemic, ‘the GHA has reconsidered the need for the mortuary facilities at the hospital.
“The Mortuary Viewing Rooms will be re-instated as from mid-August and will allow families and friends to grieve their loved ones in a calm and accessible environment, as is traditional in Gibraltar,” the GHA statement read.
The GHA’s facilities team has carried out all the works to remodel the room for the mortuary needs.
“I am very happy to announce that we are in the final stages of delivering on my commitment to reinstate the mortuary viewing rooms at St Bernard’s Hospital,” Geoghegan said.
“We recognise the importance for families and friends to spend time with their loved ones at what is such a sad and difficult time.
“We hope that the reintroduction of this facility within the hospital will help with the grieving process.”
He thanked the Bishop of Gibraltar for ‘his support and in understanding and accommodating our needs’.
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