By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

A MALFUNCTIONING refrigerated trailer used to store bodies at the Rand Memorial Hospital has been replaced, according to Public Hospitals Authority officials, amid questions over overdue delays in the construction of a new morgue facility on Grand Bahama.

Concerns about the morgue facility recently resurfaced after the temporary reefer trailer collapsed and was no longer functioning.

Dr Aubenette Rolle, managing director at the Public Hospitals Authority, confirmed yesterday that the faulty trailer had been replaced on Monday.

Kwasi Thompson, MP for East Grand Bahama, said the situation is an example of the government’s continued neglect in Grand Bahama.

A $1.6m contract for morgue upgrades and related renovations at the Rand was signed in June 2022 with Pinnacle Investment Company Limited.

The project was intended to modernise the morgue, expand its capacity, and address corridor damage from Hurricane Dorian and subsequent storms. At the time, officials said Grand Bahama could expect a modern, fully restored morgue facility within six to seven months.

It has been more than two years and there is still no new morgue.

When asked about the allocation of funds for construction of a new morgue, Ms Rolle declined to comment on that, but indicated the project is ongoing.

“I'm not going to get into that element. That project remains ongoing. As it relates to the reefer that you called about, that we had issues, that has been replaced as of yesterday and it's fully functional,” she said.

“There's been no changes in the other plans of the facility related to the renovations of the morgue, that remains ongoing,” Ms Rolle said.

Mr Thompson said there has been no transparent explanation for the delay, adding that it demonstrates “a troubling lack of accountability and responsiveness to community needs.”

“When the government cannot manage something as critical as morgue services, it undermines public confidence in its ability to handle larger issues. The PLP continues to fail the people of Grand Bahama,” he said.

The Rand’s morgue has faced longstanding issues since Dorian, with temporary trailers repeatedly used to compensate for inadequate infrastruct Kwasi Thompson ure. Officials previously underscored the vital role of reliable morgue services in hospital operations, from the proper receipt and storage of bodies to the safe and timely completion of autopsies.

Omar Isaacs, FNM candidate for West Grand Bahama and Bimini, said the lack of a proper morgue in Grand Bahama is unacceptable.

He argued that a functioning morgue is a basic amenity the island should not be without.

“In what they call a second city, it isn't really befitting of us not to have simple amenities such as a morgue,” he said. “They have a lot of different line items when you look at the budget contribution and they are not dealing with matters that matter the most in Grand Bahama.”

Mr Isaacs said the government has repeatedly budgeted funds but failed to prioritise matters that are most important to Grand Bahamians, calling the morgue delay an example of mismanagement and a broader pattern of failed commitments to the island.