The Department of Health’s New Territories (Shatin) Forensic Medicine Centre officially opened today, with Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki and Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau officiating at the opening ceremony.

The seven-storey centre is the reprovisioned Fu Shan Public Mortuary. With an enhanced storage capacity of 830 bodies, it has adopted a modernised design with a view to change people's impression of public mortuaries.

The centre’s computerised tomography scan room is the first to be set up in public mortuaries, providing an additional resource for forensic pathologists. Various forensic pathology facilities are in place, including cold rooms, a deep freezer, autopsy suites and laboratories.

There are also three indoor farewell rooms for families to hold simple memorial rites. The building also serves as a training venue for law enforcement officers in criminal and crime scene investigations.

With the opening of the centre, the Fu Shan Public Mortuary will cease operation from January 7, 2023.