State regulators have mandated that a Texas medical school immediately suspend its practice of liquefying bodies after using them for training and research.
It was explained that Alkaline hydrolysis, also known as water cremation, is celebrated as an eco-friendly option to standard cremation. It uses water, chemicals, and heat to break down a body rapidly, leaving behind a liquid that can be poured down the drain and a dry, ash-like residue that can be returned to families.
It’s also illegal in Texas, according to the Funeral Commission.
The commission said in the letter to Health Science Center President Dr Sylvia Trent-Adams that the practice is not authorised by the Texas state law and constitutes a serious violation of the standards governing the lawful disposition of human remains.
“This practice is not authorized under Texas state law and constitutes a serious violation of the standards governing the lawful disposition of human remains,” the commission said in the letter to Health Science Center President Dr. Sylvia Trent-Adams.
In a statement to NBC News, Health Science Center spokesperson Andy North pointed to a section of the Texas administrative code that lists alkaline hydrolysis as an option for disposing of bodies after they have been used for medical research. However, the Funeral Commission said that code was invalid and superseded by state law, which only allows for human remains to be cremated or buried. (Water cremations are legal in more than 25 other states.)
The Funeral Commission threatened to fine the Health Science Center body donation program $5,000 per day and revoke its operating license if it didn’t come into compliance within 14 days.
North said the centre proactively halted water cremations on Sept. 16.
In an earlier investigation presented by NBC, it was disclosed that the Health Science Center had dissected and studied hundreds of unclaimed bodies without the knowledge of the families, of the dead individual. It was disclosed that many of the bodies that were studied were cut up and leased to other schools, medical technology companies and the Army, it was stated that the bodes have continued to use them for the training of their personnel such as students, and doctors. After the investigation was published the centre directed the suspension of body donation and sacked all the officials that were running the program
The discovery which was done by the Funeral Commission has brought the public a high level of concern about the program and how it has been operated by the individuals involved. It was disclosed that the Health Science Center’s contracts with Dallas and Tarrant counties which have been supplying unclaimed bodies have stipulated that the the remains of every human were criminated when the program was concluded by them
It was disclosed by the investigation that consent forms signed by those donating their bodies or the body of a relative to the centre also indicated that “cremated remains” would be returned to survivors not indicating that the bodies might instead be liquefied.
It has been suggested that some of the families might have not been able to know the difference stating that the fine white powder produced by alkaline hydrolysis is made by crushing bone pieces that are left behind after the rest of the body has been dissolved and looks like ashes
Efforts to speak with the Dallas and Tarrant counties were not successful as the officials did not respond to inquiries immediately, the questions were in the centres on the details of whether they agreed to allow the Health Science Center to liquefy unclaimed bodies.
One of the bioethicists at the University of Texas at Arlington who has been against the activities of the centre which were related to dissecting unclaimed bodies disclosed that she was shocked when she was aware of the water cremation activities that were being carried out by the centre, he noted that it was huge ethical issue explaining that the activities have looked like they don’t take the wishes of the families with utmost seriousness
Health Science Center spokesperson failed to give responses about the time the program has been ongoing as the water cremations take centre of discussion. The spokesperson was also asked if they have been using the method for all cases with the disclosure of the possibility to the family.
The investigations have shown that the budget document from 2020 has shown that the Health Science Center has planned to provide two alkaline hydrolysis units as part of a broader renovation to keep up with a surge in bodies coming into the program, including unclaimed remains from Dallas and Tarrant counties. The budget document also noted that if the centre starts the cremation of the body it could save them $1 million over five years.
In the past, there have been efforts to make cremation legal but has fallen short in the Texas Legislature in recent years. The attempt has been witnessed by opposition from religious groups including the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops, which has argued that the practice “fails to treat the body with dignity and respect. Criticizers were particularly outraged by the image of liquefied bodies being flowed into the sewer.
With the deliberation not passing the approval of the legislators, Shupe has stated that if the Health Science Center was engaging in carrying out water cremations the consent or approval of the families shows a disregard for the families of the victims and against the wish of the dead person.
Shupe explained that if my Catholic mother had donated her body to this program, and I later learned that this is what had happened to her body, I would be sick, Shupe further stated that it would be devastating to the person because it was against he wish of the person.
