Officials Request Portable Morgue at the Coliseum

ODESSA, TX – The Ector County Health Department has sent a request to the FDA to set up a portable morgue at the Ector County Coliseum. 

The following is a press release from the Ector County Health Department:

The Ector County Medical Examiner’s Office is required to investigate all deaths not attended by a physician. The Medical Examiner’s Office has been struggling with limited space to store deceased persons for years as the Medical Center Hospital Morgue only has room for six. The Ector County Medical Examiner’s Office has investigated approximately 550 deaths (homicide, suicide, overdose, accidents, and motor vehicle accidents, and natural causes) in Ector County since January 1, 2020. These types of events coupled with the increase in hospital deaths exhaust our storage capacity. Our population has increased over the years therefore managing space for a deceased person continues to be a struggle. The Ector County Medical Examiner’s Office requested Emergency Management to request a temporary holding facility from the State to temporary hold deceased persons until they are released for burial or autopsy. Ector County has also coordinated with Medical Center Hospital and Odessa Regional Hospital to accommodate any storage needs they may have as well.

CBS7 reports that the portable morgue will be set up at the Ector County Coliseum. There is also a chance they will set it up at the airport to be shared between them and Midland.

So far Odessa has had 130 patients die from COVID-19. On top of coronavirus, Odessa has had an uptick in homicides, suicides, and drug overdoses. 

In Tom Green County, there have been 112 coronavirus deaths.