Women’s body ‘turned to liquid’ after laying unclaimed in Port Pirie Hospital mortuary for more than two months

A major regional hospital is facing a widened investigation after a corpse “turned to liquid” in its morgue – the second shocking revelation this week. WARNING: Graphic content

The Port Pirie Hospital has been hit with a second set of scandalous details. Picture: Dean Martin

The body of a woman “turned to liquid” after she decomposed in a refrigerated country morgue for more than two months, sparking a new investigation into an embattled regional hospital.

In a second scandal to hit Port Pirie Hospital in two days, leaked SA Health documents show the dead woman, 69, was left unclaimed for at least 71 days early last year.

Whistleblowers claim her body vaporised and “turned to liquid” in a mortuary fridge, which also left a “bad smell” throughout parts of the Mid North hospital.

After initial concerns were dismissed for weeks, sources said two body bags were needed to eventually transport her.

The under-fire hospital, one of the state’s flagship regional medical facilities, had no rules about how to store bodies long-term or deal with dead “unclaimed” patients, internal documents show.

Sources claimed no changes have been implemented since, it was not registered as a serious patient “incident” nor was the local health network’s board informed.

Health Minister Chris Picton widened a high-level hospital review to now include all mortuary processes, which the Opposition welcomed.

He had already ordered SA Health chief executive, Dr Robyn Lawrence, to review the hospital’s actions over a “mix-up” involving a dead child and miscarried foetus in a medical “bucket” in January last year, which occurred before he was minister.

Staff have been warned in recent days against speaking publicly on the hospital’s myriad of problems and were sent a flyer detailing how to refer inquiries to SA Health’s Adelaide-based media unit.

Crisis meetings were held with hospital staff on Thursday, during which senior executives defended patient care and internal processes as they attacked The Advertiser.

Sources disputed claims from hospital bosses that officials “worked closely” with the woman’s “loved ones at every stage”, which internal documents also contradicted.

“To allow a deceased person to deteriorate to the point of a double body bag is required doesn’t indicate to me there is any consideration of care,” one said.

“It’s certainly not dignified. It isn’t professional.

“People should be held accountable.”

The dead woman, who is not being named, was transferred to the hospital’s morgue from a Yorke Peninsula retirement village in late November, 2021.

A review was first ordered into the Port Pirie Hospital after an incident involving the miscarried baby of Candice Murray, 42, pictured at home with partner of 18 years, Shane Roberts, 45, and a grandson Aidan, 3. Picture Dean Martin

Sources, who declined to be named, claimed several staff asked hospital bosses about how her body would be stored long term but they said their concerns were “dismissed”.

She was left in a fridge with a minimum 4C, which is within national temperature guidelines for short term storage, which is usually a few days.

But after a cleaner reported a putrid smell more than two months later, concerns were finally escalated to senior management and plans made to have the body collected in early February, documents show.

Subsequent checks found the fridges working properly.

But senior bosses later reported problems with the “unclaimed deceased” person, revealing the hospital did not have any such rules on how to monitor or report such inpatients.

An internal review was never actioned, sources claimed.

State government officials say there is no uniform South Australian rules on storing bodies while burial laws don’t stipulate specific morgue refrigerator temperatures or time frames.

The latest National Pathology Accreditation Advisory Council requirements states a “body storage” building must maintain temperatures of between 2C and 6C for a time determined by each jurisdiction or a facility’s internal policies.

If long-term storage is required, the body should be maintained at approximately -20C, according to the federal Department of Health guidelines.

In response to questions, Mr Picton said: “While I wasn’t the Minister at the time I want to be assured that appropriate procedures were in place and followed.

“Therefore Dr Robyn Lawrence will review the mortuary processes at the hospital now and at the time in February 2022.”

Health Minister Chris Picton. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Morgan Sette

Opposition spokeswoman, Penny Pratt, said the new “revelations are tragic and heartbreaking”.

“It is without doubt that a high-level inquiry into a prior incident must be expanded to better understand how these circumstances occurred and how to prevent concerning incidents like these from ever happening again,” she said.

Yorke and Northern Local Health Network chief executive, Roger Kirchner, declined to say if rules were followed or if he believed it was acceptable.

In a statement issued through an SA Health spokeswoman, he said: “With any death and burial, it is important to respect the wishes of the person and family.

“We also respect that on occasions it takes time for appropriate arrangements to be made.

“We worked closely with this person’s loved ones at every stage to ensure they were cared for to the best of our ability while these arrangements were made.”

Originally published as Women’s body ‘turned to liquid’ after laying unclaimed in Port Pirie Hospital mortuary for more than two months