Rethymno Hospital investigates body storage incident

The administration of Rethymno Hospital has ordered a preliminary investigation following an incident where the body of a 57-year-old Hungarian national was kept outside of a refrigeration chamber.

The deceased, who was found dead at Kournas Lake on Friday, October 23, was initially placed in a cold storage unit. However, on Sunday, the body was removed for a scheduled autopsy that did not take place. Due to a lack of available space caused by previous incidents, the body could not be returned to the refrigeration chamber.

Hospital Director Georgios Papakonstantinis clarified that while the body was not in the official refrigeration chamber, it was kept in an area maintained at a very low temperature. He denied reports claiming the body had been left out for three days, stating the issue arose when the body could not be re-installed in the chamber after the failed examination. The investigation will focus on the management of the body from its removal to the inability to re-house it.