MONTICELLO  — In his report given to the Public Safety and Law Enforcement Committee on May 11, Coroner Albee Bockman revealed the cause of death of recently deceased persons, announced the upcoming retirement of the primary forensic pathologist, and praised Public Safety Commissioner Scott Schulte for plans to upgrade the morgue to address ongoing overcrowding issues and equipment malfunctions. 

“This month we answered 18 death calls in our county, 8 of them required postmortem examination; we had one by accident, two by suicide and four by overdose.” 

Bockman said they continue to see about 20 percent of deaths in the county every month to be caused by drug overdose.

Bockman also reported that Primary Forensic Pathologist Dr. Kunjlata Ashar will be retiring by the end of this year. 

“And that leaves the other pathologist that does about 10 percent of our autopsies, so we’re very, very concerned in our office.” 

Bockman said they are in constant communication with the New York State Association of County Coroners and Medical Examiners (NYSACCME) to try to find a replacement but have not received an answer. 

“We may have to transfer patients outside of the county to do autopsies.” Bockman said they’re staying on top of the issue and that they’ll keep the Legislature posted as they work to fill the position.

District 2 Legislator and Chair Nadia Rajsz said, “There aren’t that many students that are entering into this anatomical pathology.” 

Bockman responded, “That’s just what the organization has been telling us.”

Morgue expansion

“I want to thank Commissioner Schulte for spearheading upgrading our Coroner’s Office, it’s been long overdue,” said Bockman, who has been in meetings at the Garnett Health Medical Center in Harris to discuss the construction of a new mortuary refrigeration unit. 

“The existing room is going to be upgraded, and then we have a room [planned to be built in the hospital] that’s going to be a walk-in.”

District 7 Legislator Joseph Perrello raised concerns about placing the new cooler in the hospital, “because I don’t know what the future’s gonna bring with the hospital.”

Bockman acknowledged Perrello’s concern but asked, “How long will it take for that hospital to be built? You could be looking at a dozen years, it’s not going to be an overnight project for them, but we need to do something now and address it now because we’ve had multiple issues in that morgue.”

Perrello responded: “Oh I know, I’ve been there when some people can’t fit in the boxes, and they put them in an air-conditioned room.”

Bockman said, “Security has to rotate the bodies every two hours cause we’re overloaded and it’s broken down several times.” Bockman reiterated that it will be years before plans of a new hospital come to fruition; “that’s a long time down the road.”

Bockman said the new mortuary refrigeration unit will cost approximately $75,000 and will house 10 cadavers; currently the existing cooler has the capacity to house six cadavers.