Ecuador Runs Out of Coffins, Leaves Dead Bodies In the Streets

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Residents of Ecuador published gruesome videos on social media showing dead corpses abandoned in the streets of one of Latin America's worst coronavirus-stricken countries.

The COVID-19 pandemic's rapid spread overloaded Ecuador's public services. The country's health care system is at the point of collapse, with many facilities out of empty beds to serve the continuous wave of coronavirus victims. Morgues and cemeteries are also straining to create places to bury the dead.

With no place left for the corpses, residents decide to leave the deceased in the streets.

It remains unclear how many residents are dying because of the global pandemic coronavirus. Many say their loved ones suffered from symptoms but were unable to get medical attention due to overwhelmed medical facilities.

'We've been waiting for five days'

In an interview, some families complained about the authorities' slow response in picking up their deceased family members. Fernando Espana, a relative of a COVID-19 victim, said they had been calling 911 for five days to no avail.

Local hospitals are operating beyond capacity, forcing many patients to wait for health care officials---some die without receiving proper medical attention. A woman reportedly died in a wheelchair while waiting to be seen by doctors. According to the hospital staff, her body was left out for four hours before it was collected.

Ecuadorian health officials reported 3,368 cases and 145 deaths nationwide. 102 fatalities were registered in the Guayas province. Health experts predict the Guayas province will see between 2,500 and 3,500 deaths in the coming months.

Citizens believe there are more COVID-19 cases than what is being reported by the Ecuadorian government. They urge the government to address the outbreak and the lack of testing.

Ecuador's vice president, Otto Sonnenholzner, apologized after videos showing dead bodies made rounds in social media. He said the situation should never have happened.

Authorities began distributing thousands of temporary cardboard coffins in the country's biggest city. They also created a helpline where families can get the services they need to collect their deceased loved ones from their homes.

'Keeping secrets'

The Guayas province is considered a coronavirus hotspot. Doctors describe the hospital scene as something resembling a war zone hospital. A medical worker at the Teodor Maldonado Carbo hospital likened their situation to "something straight from a horror film."

A regional politician said they were asked not to divulge statistics about the province's death toll. He did, however, say that authorities issued 480 death certificates on April 4, 2020. It was also reported that officials collect more than 150 bodies each day.

The Ecuadorian government has come under fire after failing to impose proper preventive measures and lockdown procedures to curb the spread of the virus.

"When the virus appeared in China, we thought it would never reach us here," Lenin Moreno, Ecuador's president, said. "Now it's in all of us. We are breathing it."