Members of the Bretuo family of Akyem Apaaso, near Oda in the Eastern Region, were left devastated when they discovered that the body released to them by the mortuary of the Oda Government Hospital for burial was not that of their deceased relative.
The family had deposited the body of 62-year-old Margaret Yaa Kyeraa at the hospital’s mortuary last month ahead of her planned burial on May 16, 2026. However, preparations for the funeral were thrown into disarray when relatives realised that the corpse brought home for the final rites belonged to another person.
A family member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Mirror that undertakers had prepared the burial grounds on a Friday evening and family members were awaiting the arrival of the body for viewing before interment.
According to the relative, some family members who closely examined the body immediately noticed discrepancies. They observed that Yaa Kyeraa had maintained a very low haircut, whereas the body presented for burial had braided hair.
The shocking discovery forced the family to return the body to the mortuary. Matters worsened when hospital officials were unable to immediately locate Yaa Kyeraa’s body.
The incident caused significant distress among mourners, including the deceased’s husband, who had travelled from Gabon, her father from Asante Juaben in the Ashanti Region, and several relatives who had journeyed from Kumasi to attend the funeral.
Subsequent investigations revealed that Yaa Kyeraa’s body had been mistakenly transferred to the morgue of the Suhum Government Hospital during the movement of corpses from Oda to Suhum.
On May 20, relatives informed Graphic Online’s Samuel Kyei Boateng that they had successfully traced and identified her body at the Suhum Government Hospital mortuary.
When contacted initially, the Medical Superintendent of the Oda Government Hospital, Dr. Kwabena Awuku, described the situation as unfortunate and requested time to conduct investigations. As part of efforts to resolve the matter, the hospital reportedly engaged experts from the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital to undertake DNA testing involving the children of the deceased and the wrongly released body.
On May 18, 2026, management of the Oda Government Hospital, led by Dr. Awuku, held discussions with the bereaved family to address the situation.
Following negotiations, relatives travelled to Suhum, where arrangements were made to transport Yaa Kyeraa’s body back to the Oda Government Hospital mortuary. The family whose relative had been mistakenly released also retrieved their loved one’s body after confirming its identity.
Despite the ordeal, the family of Margaret Yaa Kyeraa has rescheduled her burial and final funeral rites for June 13, 2026.
When contacted about the reported discovery of the missing body at Suhum, Dr. Awuku declined to either confirm or deny the information, directing inquiries to the deceased’s family instead.
