Development and pilot evaluation of a standardised 30-day protocol for the management of unclaimed bodies in Malaysia

Unclaimed bodies continue to present important operational, forensic, ethical, and administrative challenges for hospitals in Malaysia. Variability in mortuary retention practices and the lack of a nationally standardised protocol may affect identification opportunities, mortuary capacity, and lawful disposition processes.

To develop and pilot evaluate a standardised 30-day protocol for the management, identification, retention, and lawful disposition of unclaimed bodies in Malaysian hospitals.

A mixed-methods pilot operational study was conducted using a structured review of hospital SOPs, Ministry of Health documents, operational reports, international mortuary standards, and forensic identification workflows published between 2010 and 2025. A retrospective pilot evaluation was subsequently performed in a tertiary hospital mortuary in Kuala Lumpur to assess operational feasibility, storage duration, identification timelines, and stakeholder acceptability.

Approximately 400 unclaimed bodies are reportedly managed annually within Klang Valley hospitals, with considerable variation in institutional retention practices. Pilot evaluation of the proposed 30-day protocol involving 97 unclaimed bodies demonstrated operational feasibility, acceptable freezer utilisation, mean storage duration of 27.4 days, and positive stakeholder acceptability. Most identification processes occurred within the proposed retention window.

The present pilot study demonstrates that a standardised 30-day protocol for unclaimed bodies is operationally feasible and acceptable within the Malaysian setting. The proposed protocol may support improved identification opportunities, standardised mortuary practices, and structured collaboration between the Ministry of Health, law enforcement authorities, and forensic agencies.