Measures when Mortuaries are Unable to Cope with Surge in Demand

30 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Health what further immediate measures will the Ministry consider and take when the mortuaries in Singapore be unable to cope with a surge in demand.

Mr Ong Ye Kung: The mortuaries managed by hospitals and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) are only meant to temporarily store deceased persons before they are claimed. There are existing processes to facilitate the timely transfer of the deceased to families for funeral preparations. In the past decade, mortuaries were able to meet the actual demand for mortuary space.

Nevertheless, the hospitals and HSA had also established contingency plans to cater to potential surge in the demand for mortuary space. This involves the deployment of mobile refrigerated containers near the existing mortuaries to add capacity.