Some residents of the South La Estate in the Greater Accra region are on a warpath with management of the La General Hospital over the location of a morgue.

The residents say the mortuary poses a health risk to them as they cannot bear the overpowering stench from the facility.

According to them, the stench coupled with the noise from family members and sympathisers when they are coming for bodies of their loved ones has been difficult to bear.

JoyNews' Maxwell Agbagba visited the area on Tuesday to met angry residents whose houses share walls with the facility, which they  say used to be a canteen.

The reporter counted nine hearses packed 100 metres from the morgue which the resident said inconveniences them.

One of them, Cecil Garbrah whose father owns a property opposite the morgue, is leading a charge to relocate the facility.

He told Joy News’ that “the situation here is very serious because the hospital is killing the residents with stench and chemicals. The South La Estate which is over 60 years old has become inhabitable lately."

“On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, you have to flee from the area because of the smell of formalin and the stench of the dead bodies which forces us out of our homes very early only to come back after 8 pm," he added.

Mr Garbrah alleged that the morgue which was originally built to accommodate 200 bodies is currently taking over 900 bodies.

“Dead bodies are no longer lying on benched but they are being belted with chains and removed by looking at the name tag,” he said.

Another resident said when they got wind of plans to put up the morgue, they protested the idea which made the owners stop.

He claims after the upgrade of the La Polyclinic to a General Hospital, the morgue was built at the blind side of the residents.

However, authorities of the Hospital said the reports of the stench from dead bodies and the smell of formalin are untrue.

Mr Atindana Nsobila who took the Joy News reporter around the facility said on days they expect a lot of people, they engage the services of the police to ensure order.  

According to the administrator, they cannot be held responsible for what people do when they are coming to pick their dead relations or loved ones.