Overwhelmed Panama morgues stacking bodies

 DAILY mounting deaths caused by violence and coronavirus in homes have overwhelmed Panama morgues in Ancon La Chorrera and Colon forcing the Institute of Legal Medicine and  Forensic Scientists (Imelcf) to consider stacking up to three bodies in a single refrigerator and to bury unclaimed bodies to make room.

So far this year there have been  646 violent deaths, including homicides, suicides, and accidents

and 51  people have died at home from coronavirus.

Hospital mortuaries are also at the tipping point as  the pandemic claims one life every 50  minutes.

At the start of the pandemic in  March, Legal Medicine agreed with the Ministry of Health to take charge of the deaths in the houses suspected of Covid-19. In these cases, the Imelcf staff collects the body, takes it to the morgue and do tests to verify if death from the virus.

Most of the deaths from Covid-19 t have been registered in San Miguelito and in the townships of December 24 and Tocumen, in the capital.

Until Thursday  the Ancón morgue, which has a capacity for 47 corpses, only had 1 space; while that of La Chorrera is already at its maximum capacity.  and the 12 refrigerated drawers to are full.