Penza, 13 February 2014. PenzaNews. Agency check, organized on behalf of the Minister of Health of the Penza region Vladimir Stryuchkov, following the article “Deadly deception” published in the blog of radio-host Denis Simonov, confirmed the facts of unqualified business of funeral agency “Kharon.”

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“The service check found that, in accordance with the agreement from May 15, 2008, the funeral agency “Kharon” rents a part of the building of the pathology department (morgue) of the city emergency hospital named after G. Zakharyin. This company has the right to sell funeral accessories, including wreaths and fences, and provides funeral services. Issuing death certificates and conducting post-mortem autopsy is beyond the competence of this agency, and should be performed by pathology service of the city emergency hospital named after G. Zakharyin ,” the press service of the regional Ministry of Health told news agency “PenzaNews.”

The ministry added that the evidence will be sent to law enforcement agencies to adopt procedural decisions.

On Monday, February 10, Denis Simonov published an article “Deadly deception.” He told there how a few minutes after report of the death of a loved one, he received a phone call and a stranger offered to contact a woman named Lyudmila working in the morgue at the city hospital in order to obtain the death certificate.

When trying to find the morgue, the blogger managed to find only one door leading in the office of the funeral agency “Kharon,” where he met the mentioned woman. After making notes on the personal data of the deceased, she began offering wreaths, coffin, clothes for the funeral, and after the refusal, she demanded 2,500 rubles for morgue services.

Having paid the mentioned amount, Denis Simonov asked for the receipt, after which the woman reluctantly sent him to the cashier’s office of the hospital, where he was charged 460 rubles for morgue services.

According to the author of the article, the representatives of companies affiliated at the hospital, such as “Kharon,” get an opportunity to profit from people’s grief, which is due to the lack of posters helping people navigate and get directly to a medical pathologist. He also suggested that the hospital management is aware of the situation.

On Tuesday, February 11, Denis Simonov published the second part of the article “Deadly deception. Continuation” where he told that at the farewell ceremony in the morgue, the same woman demanded another 300 rubles for moving the body in the coffin, however, having recognized the picky visitor, she quickly retreated.