The Ministry, on the complaints of accumulation of bodies: "The refrigeration chambers are working correctly"
Justice assures that there is no saturation or staff shortage in the Forensic Institute of the Balearic Islands, while internal sources maintain the complaints
PalmThe Ministry of Justice denies that the Institut de Medicina Legal i Ciències Forenses (IMLCF) of the Balearic Islands is in a situation of chaos or collapse, after ARA Balears revealed internal complaints about the accumulation of bodies, lack of resources, and operational tensions in the forensic service of the Balearic Islands, dependent on the State.
The information published by this newspaper, prepared from sources familiar with the internal situation of the service, warned of growing pressure within the Forensic Institute, especially in Palma and looking ahead to the summer months. According to these sources, the lack of support staff and the increase in activity have led to episodes of saturation and difficulties in the ordinary functioning of the service.
After the publication of the news, official sources from the Ministry have rejected this diagnosis and have defended that the functioning of the IMLCF is correct. Firstly, they assure that "the refrigeration chambers are working correctly" and deny that there are capacity problems in the body storage facility in Palma.
In this regard, the Ministry of Justice details that the pathology service in Palma has a total capacity for 46 bodies and that, currently, there are 25. With this data, the State wants to demonstrate that there is no situation of saturation in the facilities.
"Staff covered"
The same ministerial sources also reject that there is a deficit of medical personnel and assure that “the staff of forensic doctors of the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences of the Balearic Islands is fully covered”. Furthermore, they add that the “imminent” incorporation of an autopsy technician is planned with the aim of reinforcing the operational capacity of the service during the summer period, when activity usually increases.
Regarding the situation in Ibiza, another of the points that appeared in the information published by ARA Balears, the Ministry states that “the actions in this field of pathology are carried out in an adequate manner and in accordance with established standards”. Likewise, it informs that a collaboration agreement between the Health Service of the Balearic Islands and the Ministry, through the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences of Ibiza, is currently being processed.
According to ministerial sources, this agreement should allow for “consolidating and strengthening the framework of institutional cooperation”, as well as contributing to “the continuous improvement of the quality, coordination and effectiveness of actions”.
Despite the official response from the Ministry, the sources consulted by ARA Balears maintain their version and insist that there are structural problems and a lack of resources that affect the daily functioning of the forensic service. These sources warn that the situation could worsen during the months of highest workload if certain support services are not reinforced.