19 bodies get paupers’ burial

interview yesterday, Gweru Provincial Hospital acting medical superintendent Dr Fungai Makwarimba said of the 19 bodies, nine were of adults while 10 were of infants.
He said the majority of bodies that were given paupers’ burials last Friday were accident victims and inmates of local old people’s homes. “Of the 19 bodies which were given paupers’ burials, only six were of people who died at the hospital while the remainder were brought to the hospital mortuary by the police either from old people’s homes or fatal road accidents,” he said.
Dr Makwarimba said the hospital, which is the major referral hospital for the Midlands province, decided to give unclaimed bodies paupers’ burials to ease congestion at the hospital mortuary.
He said bodies that would not have been claimed for one week would now be recommended for paupers’ burials.
“We will, however, do this in conjunction with the police. Most hospital cases given paupers’ burials are those of mothers in labour who would have delivered stillborn babies with their relatives failing to claim the bodies,” he said.
Dr Makwarimba said Gweru Provincial Hospital mortuary has the capacity to accommodate a maximum of 18 bodies.
“In circumstances that are beyond our control, we can accommodate up to 24 bodies and still maintain the normal cooling system of the mortuary,” he said.
Dr Makwarimba said the hospital mortuary was now in perfect condition following renovations that took place at the health institution last year.
He said cases of bodies given paupers’ burials were now few compared to previous years. “There is no longer congestion at our mortuary because the number of bodies that go unclaimed have greatly been reduced,” he said.
A local company contracted by the Department of Social Welfare, Merelink Investment, trading as Top to Bottom Society, facilitated the paupers’ burials at Mkoba Cemetery.