Durban - There are more than 1 000 unclaimed bodies at KwaZulu-Natal government mortuaries and staff say they are working under deplorable conditions.
Earlier this month, The Mercury’s sister newspaper, Cape Times, reported that there were 4 045 unclaimed bodies at the forensic pathology mortuaries in the country as at the end of August.
This was according to Health Minister Joe Phaahla, who was responding to parliamentary questions from Freedom Front Plus MP Philip van Staden.
He said of the 4 045 unclaimed bodies, the highest number of unclaimed bodies (1 509) was in KZN.
The National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) said its members were overworked at government mortuaries, and blamed the government, particularly the KZN Department of Health, for the rise in the number of uncollected bodies.
Nehawu said the current problem was due to the failure to build a mortuary to replace the Gale Street facility, combined with an under-resourced forensic pathology division.
The union’s Ayanda Zulu said they had warned the department of the looming crisis, but their concerns had been met with a lukewarm response.
He lamented the working conditions for staff at the Phoenix and Fort Napier mortuaries, and called on the department to take responsibility for the problem.
“Since Gale Street mortuary closed, there has not been an alternative and this means that people in Chesterville and uMlazi have to use the facility in Pinetown.
“As for Fort Napier, the working conditions there are simply unbearable, with the stench of bodies all over the facility,” Zulu said.
The union said some bodies remained unclaimed in mortuaries for more than five years, adding that some could have been there for even longer.
IFP Member of Provincial Legislature Ncamisile Nkwanyana also decried the situation. She called on KZN Health
MEC Nomagugu Simelane to provide a detailed plan and clear timeline on dealing with the backlog of unclaimed bodies in government mortuaries.
“It is unfathomable that some unclaimed corpses date back to 2017. It is reported that around 1 509 bodies are unclaimed, which is in violation of health regulations and is posing a serious health hazard to mortuary staff.”
She also appealed to families to claim the bodies of their loved ones.
DA MPL Edwin Baptie said he would send questions to the Health MEC to get an understanding on the backlogs.
He added that there should be discussions between the department and municipalities to facilitate pauper burials as this would ease the backlog at government mortuaries.
In announcing the department's budget this year, the MEC indicated that it will be building new mortuaries in Jozini, Mtubatuba and Vryheid in a bid to deal with backlogs.
The KZN Health Department had not responded to questions at the time of publication.