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A serious shortage of staff has forced Murcia’s main morgue to suspend many of its usual operations, leaving grieving families waiting days to collect the bodies of their loved ones.

 

The crisis affects the Institute of Legal Medicine’s facilities in both Murcia and Cartagena, where dozens of bodies now remain in refrigerated chambers awaiting autopsy. The situation, described by the Workers’ Commissions (CCOO) union as “critical”, has led to growing frustration among families who are used to Spain’s fast funeral turnaround.

 

“There is great unease among the relatives of the deceased at having to wait days to collect the bodies of their loved ones,” said the CCOO in a statement. In Spain, funerals traditionally take place very quickly, often within 24 to 48 hours of a person’s death, a sharp contrast to the UK, where services are usually held two weeks or later. This difference in customs is making the delays all the more upsetting for families who expect to say their goodbyes swiftly.

 

According to the union, the service is being maintained by only two technicians in each city, far below what’s needed to cover the entire region. “The existing staff positions in both Murcia and Cartagena, seven technician positions in total, are not only insufficient, but half of them are not filled,” the union said.

 

Repeated appeals to the Ministry of Justice to hire replacement staff have gone unanswered, leaving just a handful of technicians struggling to cope. The CCOO warned that those remaining “have far exceeded the maximum number of overtime hours legally permitted,” and that the excessive workload is now posing risks to their own health and safety.

 

The problem has been building for months. Since March, no autopsies have been carried out on Sundays in the city of Murcia, creating a backlog of up to nine bodies each Monday, an unmanageable number for such a small team.

 

As the holidays approach and the pressure on public services grows, the situation shows no immediate sign of improvement, amplifying distress among families desperate to bring closure to their loss.

 

 

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