The Police Hospital has identified 58 victims of the June 3 fire disaster through Deoxiribonucleic Acid (DNA) tests so far.
71 bodies were deposited at the hospitals morgue after the disaster.
[contextly_sidebar id=”TcN7WWdJeAESYLgp7YgTCbkiDjHj67XH”] President John Mahama directed hospitals to use DNA tests to identify the bodies that were burnt beypmd recognition.
In an interview with Citi News, Director General of the Police Public Affairs Department, DCOP David Ampah Benin told Citi News that the identified bodies would be handed over to their families.
He also revealed that 13 of the bodies are yet to be identified.
“13 bodies are still being kept for identification, so through DNA, we will identify all,” he said, “Others (bodies) were taken into the 37 Military Hospital, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and the Ridge Hospital.”
The Police Hospital also discharged 11 of the 12 injured victims brought to the hospital a month ago.
“DNA is a very complex thing so let’s just wait patiently for the scientists to do their work so that the wrong bodies aren’t given to the wrong person,” he said.
At the 37 Military Hospital 50 bodies have been identified through DNA tests.
According to the acting Public Relations Officer of the 37 Military Hospital, Captain Alfred Marteye, 15 bodies were yet to be identified by relatives.
The hospital had been working together with the Police Homicide Unit and the National Security to conduct DNA tests on the bodies.
“This is to ensure that the right body is given to the rightful owner, without any default,” he had said.
He had said that even though some of the victims had been identified, they could not be handed over to their relatives because, “running a DNA test is not a daily affair as one will have to do a thorough check to come out with the right findings, so that we don’t mislead relatives of these victims.”
By: Selassie A. Amissah Mensah /citifmonline.com/Ghana