S.O.

P OF THE MORTUARY DEPARTMENT

WAYS OF HANDLING DEAD BODY

1. Wear proper attire for example; gumboots, green gown, sterile gloves, face masks, eye protectors,
head mask.

2. Identify if he/she.

3. Identify if all the body parts are present.

4. Labelling of the body for example; Name, age, place of death, cause of death, gender.

5. Take the body to the embalming laboratory.

6. Disinfect the body using liquid soap, gik (sodium hypocrite), water and disinfectant containing
germicide by removing rigor mortis.

7. prepare all equipment’s used during embalming process for example; ball stitch, toothed and flat
forceps, scalpel a pair of cramp scissors and stitching needle. Ensure that concentration of formalin,
eosin, water or magnesium is at the proper ratio.

8. Make a cut at the thigh where the femoral, carotid, axillary arteries are present if he/she is an adult or
at the neck if she/he is a child.

9. Insert a small tube at one of the artery, ensure the embalming fluid flows smoothly, puncture the vein
to remove excess blood out and wait until the body becomes stiff and firm if its open embalming
system, if it’s closed embalming don’t make any incision at the vein

10.Make sure the body is lying on a flat surface with a wooden block at the neck to ensure the
embalming fluid flows smoothly and by massaging the face to prevent swelling.

11. Turn the body upside down to remove excess fluid in the mouth to drain.

12. Wash the body with clean water and wipe the face until dry.

13. Take the body to the storage/cold room.

14. Disinfect all equipment used during embalming process.

WAYS OF RECEIVING A DEAD BODY

1. Identify the body parts

2. Check all the body parts are present.

3. Documents like burial permit or police abstracts/letters or police with his or her original working
national identification card.
4. Label the body for example; name, age, cause of death admission number either at the forehead,
chest or right leg.

5. Handle the body with care to the embalming or autopsy lab if it’s a post mortem examination body.

WAYS OF DISPARTCHING A BODY

1. Legal documents for example; burial permits, paid bills.

2. Next of kin.

3. Original national identification card of the next of kin.

4. Check if the body is well dressed and proper applied make up if it was applied.
. Disinfect all the equipment’s used and wash the embalming using gik(sodium hypocrite),liquid soap
and much water.