BEITBRIDGE This border town is now using the Musina government mortuary in neighbouring South Africa, as its own hospital mortuary is full to the brim.The only local funeral parlour has a carrying capacity of 20 bodies. So people have to make use of Musina Government Hospital. Plans for the construction of a bigger mortuary with the capacity to carry 50 bodies, under the Beitbridge redevelopment exercise, have been stalled by lack of resources, said acting District Medical Officer, Richard Majangara.
Recently Beitbridge District Hospital conducted a paupers burial for 16 bodies that had been uncollected for over three months.
Most of the bodies had been lying at the mortuary since September last
year and were at various stages of decomposition.
The mortuary was carrying 25 bodies with some of them lying on the floor.
This has also resulted in the mortuary cooling system grinding to a halt because of overloading and wear and tear.
On average, we carry out pauper burials every three months. But last year the hospital failed to conduct the burials because of lack of funds, Majangara added.
According to the last population census, the 140-bed hospital is a referral centre catering for 90 000 people. But this number has since declined because mass migration to South Africa. Paul Ndlov
Post published in: News