Morgue Mayhem: Costa Rica’s Forensic Pathology Crisis Unfolds

Stacking the Dead: A Grim Reality in Costa Rica’s Morgues

In a startling revelation from the heart of Costa Rica’s judicial system, authorities from the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) have sounded the alarm on a morbid crisis unfolding in the country’s morgues. As homicides and traffic accidents surge, the dead are reportedly piled in a macabre tableau of inefficiency and space crunch.

A Cry for Help: The Desperate Letter to the Judiciary

Seventeen directors of the OIJ took an unprecedented step, penning a heart-wrenching appeal to the President of the Supreme Court of Justice, Orlando Aguirre Gómez, and the General Director of the Judicial Police, Rándall Zúñiga López. Their missive paints a harrowing picture of the chaos within the Forensic Pathology Section.

The Stretcher Situation: Beyond Capacity

The letter sheds light on a disturbing practice—stacking corpses due to a severe lack of space and resources. “Two to three corpses on the same stretcher is not uncommon, and in dire situations, bodies are laid out on the floor,” it states, revealing a grim scene straight out of a horror movie.

Autopsies: A Herculean Task

Detailing the intricate and labor-intensive autopsy process, the letter describes staff extracting up to 20 bullets from a single body, turning autopsies into marathons lasting up to 7 hours. Such painstaking efforts are a testament to the dedication of the staff under trying circumstances.

The Toll on Staff: Working Against the Clock

The staff of the Forensic Pathology Section are depicted as unsung heroes, facing grueling hours, under-staffing, and an avalanche of cases. The daily grind involves conducting up to four autopsies, far beyond the advised limit of two, placing an immense burden on the doctors’ shoulders.

The Ignored Emotional Impact: No Psychological Support

One of the most striking points of the letter is the stark absence of psychological or occupational health support for the staff. They shoulder the emotional and mental weight of their grim duties in isolation, without the necessary care and assistance to cope with the daily exposure to death and tragedy.

An Urgent Call for Action

The situation in Costa Rica’s morgues, as laid out in the letter, is not just a logistical nightmare but a human crisis. The appeal to the judiciary is a clarion call for immediate action to address the infrastructural deficiencies, staffing issues, and the dire need for psychological support for the staff.

The OIJ’s revelation has laid bare a disturbing aspect of the country’s handling of its dead, turning the spotlight on the urgent need for reform and empathy in the realm of forensic pathology.