NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams said the remains of the city's coronavirus victims are being mistreated at some hospital morgues—and he's calling for reforms.
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Adams said horrific photos he's seen show this is a particular problem in morgues at the city's less affluent hospitals.
"We saw bodies that were thrown about; bags that were open; body parts coming out; blood everywhere. They were not in sealable packages," Adams said. "This is leading to a disturbing trend."
Adams said many temporary morgues lack proper shelving for storing bodies in a dignified way.
"It was extremely disturbing," Adams said. "Coronavirus did not discriminate on who it attacked, but our policies discriminated. We should not continue by discriminating against those bodies of poor, indigent New Yorkers."
Adams blasted the city medical examiner and the morgues for closing at 6 p.m. He said they should stay open until midnight.
"The medical examiner's office should not be working on bankers' hours during this tragedy," Adams said. "They should be open until midnight so families can identify bodies and have a respectable amount of time to bury their loved ones."
The Mayor's Office responded in a statement, saying they've encouraged hospitals to expand pickup hours and provided instructions on how to install shelving in mobile morgues.
"We have daily calls with hospitals to reiterate best practices and offer our assistance through these challenges times," the statement read. "In these calls, we have encouraged hospitals to expand their pickup hours to the furthest extent possible to accommodate the needs of funeral directors. We have also provided clear instructions on how to install shelving in mobile morgue units. If they require further assistance, we are here to help."
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