Hospital cleans out skeletons in its closet
Skeletons in the collections of Helsingborgs hospital, believed to have come to Sweden through an illegal trade in bones, may finally get a proper burial.
The skeletons have been kept for training purposes at the X-ray department and are all believed to originate from outside of Sweden. Their past is believed to be somewhat shrouded in mystery.
“We think that these specimens may come from an illegal international trade in bones and that they have originated in other countries - it would be unethical to keep them in our storage,” said Kim Tuominen of the x-ray department to local newspaper Helsingborgs Dagblad (HD).
The advent of plastic skeletons made the use of real ones for training purposes unnecessary and as the old bones are crumbling fast the hospital has contacted the National Board for Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen) to find out if and how a burial could be organised.
After being kept for so many years in Sweden, the question is whether they can be considered Swedish and therefore qualify for a burial free of charge under municipal law.
“It is actually a valid question, because there must be many other human skeletons lying around university departments, hospitals and schools,” Tuominen said to HD.
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The skeletons have been kept for training purposes at the X-ray department and are all believed to originate from outside of Sweden. Their past is believed to be somewhat shrouded in mystery.
“We think that these specimens may come from an illegal international trade in bones and that they have originated in other countries - it would be unethical to keep them in our storage,” said Kim Tuominen of the x-ray department to local newspaper Helsingborgs Dagblad (HD).
The advent of plastic skeletons made the use of real ones for training purposes unnecessary and as the old bones are crumbling fast the hospital has contacted the National Board for Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen) to find out if and how a burial could be organised.
After being kept for so many years in Sweden, the question is whether they can be considered Swedish and therefore qualify for a burial free of charge under municipal law.
“It is actually a valid question, because there must be many other human skeletons lying around university departments, hospitals and schools,” Tuominen said to HD.
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