Information for professionals handling mortuary procedures

The deceased person is always treated with dignity and by honoring their memory.

When moving a deceased person into or out of the refrigeration room, always follow standard safety precautions. Remove any protective gear—such as protective gloves and a disposable long-sleeved protective apron—immediately after moving the body or performing any other procedures on the deceased. Disinfect your hands thoroughly. There is no risk of splash exposure during the transfer, so a surgical face mask or eye protection is not required. More detailed safety guidelines on protection can be found in the storage areas and in the instruction Infektioiden torjunta vainajan käsittelyssä sairaalassa (Infection control when handling the deceased in a hospital).

Register the deceased in the HUS Vainaja system using a tablet, as well as in any log of deceased persons that may be kept in the morgue’s refrigeration room. If door tags are used in the refrigeration room, please also fill that out. 

Enter the deceased’s information into the system as accurately as possible, based on what is known at the time the deceased is brought in. When making entries in the paper log, please write in clear handwriting.

The driver transporting the deceased is responsible for ensuring that the deceased is wearing an identification wristband, which is printed from the HUS Vainaja system at the time of registration.

If a physician has not certified the death of a person, the staff at each location will be notified in the manner agreed upon separately. More detailed instructions can be found in the morgue.

The deceased is wrapped in a sheet which is secured so that the deceased’s hands or feet do not fall off the stretcher during storage.

If you encounter any issues with registering a deceased person, please contact the person in charge at the facility or, outside of office hours, the Espoo Hospital info point which is open 24 hours a day. You can find the contact information at the bottom of the page.

The driver picking up the deceased must check the identification wristband before transporting the deceased to ensure that the deceased’s information is correct. 

If there is any uncertainty regarding the identification of the deceased, please call for the person in charge of the storage facility. They will assist in identifying the deceased and investigating the matter. You can find the contact information at the bottom of the page.

Please check the system to ensure that any pacemaker has been removed from the deceased. 

Please log the deceased out of the HUS Vainaja system using your tablet. Information regarding the release of the deceased must also be recorded in the log book and on the door tag, if these are used in the morgue’s refrigeration room.

The hospital chapel can be reserved for the viewing of the deceased. You can find the contact information at the bottom of the page.

The funeral home staff receive the deceased's family and escort them to the chapel. Please also remind family members to wash and disinfect their hands thoroughly after touching the deceased.

Ritual washing of the deceased is not performed at HUS morgue facilities. Acts comparable to the viewing of the deceased, such as wiping the body with washcloths and dressing the deceased, are permitted in hospital chapels. 
 

Burial permits are usually kept at the morgue. In other cases, you can inquire about the permit on the ward where the deceased was last treated. You can ask the hospital’s contact person for information about the ward. You can find the contact information at the bottom of the page.

No outsiders are permitted in the morgue. Taking photographs is also prohibited in the morgue. Photographs can be taken in the viewing room.

Viewing or disclosing information about deceased individuals who are not covered by the mandate is strictly prohibited.

Access badges or keys are intended solely for use within your own company. You cannot hand them over or lend them to others. Please report any lost access badges or keys immediately to the unit from which you received it.

Please leave the storage and viewing rooms for the deceased tidy when you leave.

Please do not wear fragrances in our unit. 

Coordination of matters associated with the deceased at HUS

Petri Niemelä, petri.niemela@hus.fi, tel. 050 427 4908

Inquiries about the location of the deceased and issues with record-keeping

Espoo Hospital info desk, tel. 09 471 59439 (open 24 hours a day)

Espoo Hospital, refrigeration rooms P and T at Jorvi

Chapel reservations: Espoo Hospital info desk, tel. 09 4715 9439
Other matters: Juhani Tikkanen, tel. 040 648 3105

Hyvinkää Hospital 

Chapel reservations: Online services Hyvinkää Hospital, tel. 040 662 9008
Other matters: Janette Juhola, tel. 040 662 9008

Jorvi Hospital 

Chapel reservations: Espoo Hospital info desk, tel. 09 4715 9439
Other matters: obduction preparators, tel. 050 427 1271

Lohja Hospital 

Chapel reservations: Lohja Hospital info desk, tel. 019 380 11
Other matters: Esa Niemi, tel. 050 467 4258

Meilahti Hospital Area

Chapel reservations: Kristiina Parkkinen, tel. 050 427 0600
Other matters: Kristiina Parkkinen, tel. 050 427 0600

Pathology Laboratory

Chapel reservations: Obduction preparators, p. 050 427 1922
Other matters: Obduction preparators, p. 050 427 1922

Peijas Hospital 

Chapel reservations: Peijas Hospital info desk, tel. 09 471 67371
Other matters: Peijas Hospital info desk, tel. 09 471 67371

Porvoo Hospital

Chapel reservations: Porvoo Hospital info desk, tel. 019 548 2515
Other matters: Susanne Lindström, tel. 040 861 4037

New Children’s Hospital 

Chapel reservations: New Children’s Hospital info desk, tel. 050 427 0024
Other matters: New Children’s Hospital info desk, tel. 050 427 0024