Deceased & Mortuary Management

Record patient deaths, manage multi-step approval workflows, body release documentation, and external mortuary transfers.

Overview

The Deceased & Mortuary Management module handles the complete workflow from recording a patient death through multi-step approval, body release documentation, and external mortuary transfer. Every action is logged in the audit trail.

Recording a Death

When a patient passes away in the facility:

1. Navigate to Admissions → select the admitted patient
2. Click Record Deceased
3. Complete the form:
   • Date of Death — when the patient was pronounced
   • Time of Death — exact time
   • Cause of Death — primary cause (required)
   • Pronounced By — name of certifying doctor (required)
   • Death Certificate Number — optional (can be added later)
   • Notes — additional circumstances or observations
4. Click Submit

The system automatically updates the patient status, generates a deceased record, and initiates the approval workflow.

Multi-Step Approval Workflow

Before a body can be released, the following approvals must be obtained (configurable per facility):

Approval Type	Approved By	Purpose
NOK Confirmed	Next of Kin	Family has been formally notified
Doctor Certified	Attending Doctor	Medical certification of death complete
Mortuary Approved	Mortuary Attendant	Body received and properly stored
Management Approved	Hospital Management	Administrative clearance
Documents Complete	Records Department	All documentation is in order
Financial Cleared	Accounts/Billing	Outstanding bills settled or waived

Each approval records the approver’s name, role, timestamp, and any notes.

Body Release

Once all required approvals are obtained:

1. Click Release Body on the deceased record
2. Enter claimant details:
   • Full name of person collecting the body
   • Relationship to deceased
   • ID type (National ID, Passport, Driver’s License)
   • ID number
   • Phone number
   • Address
3. Add release notes if applicable
4. Click Confirm Release

External Mortuary Transfer

If the body is being transferred to an external mortuary:

1. Click Mortuary Transfer
2. Enter: Mortuary name, address, phone, transfer time, transport details, authorizing staff, receiving officer
3. Click Confirm Transfer

A transfer record is generated for documentation and audit purposes.

Deceased Records

View all deceased records from Admissions → Deceased Records. Each record shows:

• Patient name and ID
• Date and cause of death
• Approval progress (how many steps completed)
• Release status (Pending / Released / Transferred)