Adam Kuylen passes away; KHMH apologizes for morgue mishap
Adam Kuylen
A Belize City family is mourning tonight because they lost a brother and a son and even worse, they could not host a proper funeral service. The pain that they felt when they lost thirty eight year old Adam Kuylen was magnified after the public health system failed them in their time of need. According to family and friends, Kuylen’s body was taken to the morgue on Friday night and for about seventy-two hours, his body was left to be ravaged by the heat. According to Frank Kuylen, the family had to quickly bury the body because of the advanced state of decomposition. The brother of the deceased places the blame on the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.
Frank Kuylen, Brother of Adam Kuylen
“At seven-thirty p.m. they found him—the friends identified the body and took him to the morgue and they were there waiting for the morgue to open up as well. When they finally got the body I, there were also friends there that wanted to go into the morgue for closure—to see the body—and they couldn’t do that. They had to wait for an hour or two before they were able to get inside the morgue.”
Jose Sanchez
“How long was Adam’s body at the morgue being unattended?”
Frank Kuylen
“He was there for almost seventy-two hours.”
Jose Sanchez
Frank Kuylen
“And his body was just out in the open—was it in a freezer?”
Frank Kuylen
“No it was not in the freezer, obviously because nbow we have to do a burial today without notification to family and friends—it’s just inhumane and unacceptable.”
Jose Sanchez
“Did you speak to the pathologist?”
Frank Kuylen
“No, not as yet.”
Jose Sanchez
“Did you get any information from Doctor Estradabran why he was unable to do the autopsy?”
Frank Kuylen
“He did as best as he could have done. He gave us, he kept us updated on what was going on, but today he talked to my aunt and pretty much stated that he cannot do an autopsy because of the body’s decomposition and that we’re going to have to bury Adam today.”
Jose Sanchez
“So there can’t be a funeral for everyone to say goodbye?”
Frank Kuylen
“Correct—it is just something that’s going to have to happen right at the memorial.”
Jose Sanchez
“Who do you hold responsible for this?”
Frank Kuylen
“You know honestly, if I would have to point fingers to, I would point to the management of that hospital.”
Jose Sanchez
“Because it could happen to anyone?”
Frank Kuylen
“Exactly. I mean, it’s unfortunate that it happened to my family and my family is suffering for it, but yes it oculd happen to anyone and this needs to be out there.”
Jose Sanchez
“You don’t suspect foul play though?”
Frank Kuylen
“No, I can’t say that at this time. Obvioulsy I would like management to do their own internal investigation to see what caused this and the reason behind this.”
Kuylen, his brother and parents flew in from the U.S. over the weekend. He says that friends are welcome at the family home tonight in West Landivar. Late this evening, the KHMH issued a release confirming that Kuylen’s body was taken to the morgue on Friday, but there was not space for it. According to the hospital, there was a delay of “some hours” the body was transferred to the secondary storage unit on the hospital compound. In the release, the KHMH apologizes to the Kuylen family for the emotional distress caused since the rapid decomposition forced an immediate burial. It says that efforts to upgrade the facilities are continuing and that additional measures will be put in place to prevent a re-occurrence of the incident.
APOLOGIZES!, Thats it? Recently the last time I heard, the same happened in Dangriga with a little baby who was send to the morgue but was found in the trash. It seems that in Belize things are solved with an APOLOGY. If in the outside that is the situation, just imagine how is the inside.
Management of KHMH should be held accountable for their irresponsibility. No family should endure this in such sad times. This kind of thing makes me ashamed to be a Belizean.
Their is no pathologist in the country of Belize Estradaban is a fake and this gov and pm is paying this guy to do a job he knows nothing about he is a fake I would sue the hospital Estradaban and the pm and gov of this country every one who has lost and is losing family members should all at once sue this pm and gov. Until they are broke and kicked out.
So if I don’t pay my taxes, or knock down a person, I should just apologize and everything will be better?
There is a pathologist in Belize. He might not have all the degrees as Estradaban, but does a far better job than Estradaban. He is Raymond Myers and he will go for a deceased body any where and in any state.
I am !*&#!@# sick and tired of of this ……!@%&… backward, third world country that’s why I moved to America and will NEVER tell anyone i come from belize. This is GROSS IRRESPONSIBILITY and the family should sue these incompetent neanderthals for all they’re worth, which is very little!!! The government is a !&*%… bad joke, the people are backwards and stupid, the police force is corrupted and uneducated, the (army) is a laughing stock and the list goes on……Belize is the worst !%$#… country in the world!!!
you gotta love the, “just don’t give a crap” attitude in Belize. Not a soul seem to give a hoot about anyone else. Dead guy? Ahhhh shucks, he dead, and its weekend, I gots to go get my drink on and maybe lay to easy skank. This country is officially morally bankrupt, as well.
Its a shame what we go through here in Belize. This government is taking us for fools.The Health system is going trough the worst time in our history thanks to Minister Pablo Marin and Prime Minister Dean Barrow.Its about time we wake up and smell the coffee. Very poor government.
this is such a sad case, after giving a third of his life to public service this is the pay back by this goverment. Shame on KHMH and shame on Estradabran. Shame on KHKMH because they have a CEO, a director of Medical Service, a Quality Assurance Coordinator, a technical resource administrator all making around $100, 000 (a hundred thousand ) a year plus perks. they must can run a proper morgue facility. they should all be fired..
O and the so called pathologist, his is a “fresh dead” mortician. Every where else in the world a pathologist examines a decomposing body and is able to determine the cause of death. hell the Venezuelans exhumed Bolivar’s body after a hundred years to run test to see if he was poisoned.. Remember people, rich and poor we have 1 play-play forensic “doctor” in the whole country so it can happen to any one of us or our relatives. it is 2011, this blog is read worldwide and we actually have a doctor saying he can’t do a post mortem on a body after 48 hours from the time of death.Belizeans you really deserve better.
Estradabran still collect fu this case. what is there was foul play in the death, this case closed easy as that.
Once you deal with public workers there is nothing more to expect but careless and rude attitudes. Majority of the country’s population is poor peolpe, we can’t afford private services and we have to deal with these reckless goverment workers with no PR. No one has ever take this situation seriously. Why is it that we behave worst than animals? I am aware that salaries do not goes up and its always blame on it but YOU atleast have an income so please lets treat each other with respect.
Martha, i am pretty sure that you are not alone, as many Belizeans have had the displeasure to enter a public office and be treated rudely and unprofessionally by a public servant but let me assure you that all not officers are the same. The problem with public servants are those who were politically appointed that feel that they can do whatever they want and no one can touch them. Also note that not because you went to an office and were told no that the officer are being rude… sometimes ” no” is the only answer the have. Lastly, the treatment that KHMH did is digusting, disrespectful, obscene, i hope the family sue the KHMH.
its unfortunate at wat is happening in our country and i agree with every upset citizen, nothin can heal our pain but wen people like DISGUSTED post illeterate comment like it did jus show how shallow their brain is.. reguardless wat u say or do u r frm this country..the pple are stupid an backwards..dear sme $#!% is seriously wrong wid u… stupid!!! shud u internally search urself before posting crop like dat… AMERICA.. oh how wonderful is america everyting is so perfect there nothing bad ever happen police r not corrupted there… guess ur r stupid an backwards for real….
Of COURSE decomposed bodies can be autopsied!! Anyone who watches TLC or the Discovery Channel knows that. Someone please send Estradabran for more training or at least tell him to GOOGLE it!!! http://www.forensicpathologyonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=85&Itemid=108
This is absolutely bizzare, no family should endure what the Kuylen Family is going through. My hearts goes out to them. My advise to the Kuylen family is, bring a civil action against the KHMH and squeeze as much money as you can from them!. This is gross negligence and inhumane! Luis, San Antonio, Texas