The BVI Health Services Authority apologised Thursday for the accidental destruction of the body of a baby stored in the Peebles Hospital morgue.
The apology came after a Monday statement from the authority denying “that a body has been stolen, or is missing from the facility.”
The baby died on Sept. 9 “after it was born,” said Bishop John Cline, who held a prayer vigil for the child and the parents Wednesday night at the New Life Baptist Church in Duffs Bottom. The body had been stored in the morgue awaiting an autopsy, he said, but when the pathologist arrived last week, he found the body was missing, Mr. Cline said in an interview.
According to a Thursday press release from the BVIHSA, the body “was accidentally removed from the morgue and cremated due to a procedural error.”
“Having identified this unprecedented error, measures have been immediately implemented to ensure that there is never a repeat of a similar incident,” the release stated.
Efforts made by the Beacon throughout the week to contact Tamara Archibald-Gill, the information officer who sent both releases, proved unsuccessful. Through Mr. Cline, the parents have declined to speak to the media.
See the Oct. 27, 2011 edition for full coverage.