Lawmakers on Beacon Hill said that the more recent problems stem from years of underfunding and that they hoped to find more money this year.
Flomenbaum, formerly the second-ranked forensic pathologist in the New York City medical examiner's office, declined to comment.
Almost two years ago, he took over what was widely regarded as one of the worst state medical examiner's offices in the country. The office had failed in some of its duties because of underfunding, neglect, and shrinking staff. In 2003, the office was rocked by allegations that a pathologist had sent the wrong set of eyeballs for testing to determine whether an infant had died from shaken baby syndrome. The office also faced allegations that it misidentified a fire victim's body, which was then cremated.
When he took over, Flomenbaum vowed that the office would perform more autopsies and hire more staff.
The office, which has about 65 employees, has increased the number of autopsies from 2,694 in 2005 to 3,552 last year, according to Marcia S. Izzi , his chief administrative officer.
The volume of autopsies has risen because the medical examiner's office, under Flomenbaum's orders, has been more aggressive in requiring that state pathologists review suspicious or unattended deaths. The office now has 11 pathologists, up from five when Flomenbaum took office.
But a former technician, Brian Gonsalves , said yesterday that the increased workload has strained the operation. He said he worked at the office about a year before leaving last October because of low pay and limited career opportunities, but acknowledged that on the day he gave notice he had a confrontation with a human resources official.
Gonsalves, 24, told the Globe that on several occasions the office ran out of basic supplies, including body bags and toe tags. The technicians, who assist the pathologists, were told to cut toe tags from manila envelopes and punch holes in them, he said.
He said that when the autopsies increased, waste tissue inadvertently overwhelmed the plumbing system. "The drain system backed up and for two days we had to perform autopsies in 2 inches of bloody water on the floor," he said.