adminSolange Dengu Herald Reporter
Nineteen bodies have spent more than three months at Chitungwiza Central Hospital mortuary and they will be given pauper burials if not collected in the next 14 days. Of the 19 bodies, 12 have been identified while the other seven have not and the hospital is appealing to relatives of those identified to collect them. The hospital said the people died between March and September last year. The identified bodies are those of Timothy Masuku, Billient Peterson (Beatrice), Augustine Saidam (Bumhudzo Old People’s Home), Joseph Antony and Special Runyoka (of Epworth) and Ngonidzashe Homba (Masvingo). Others are Kennedy John, Melody Mukari, Kennedy Miti, Ndanatsei Charles, Fortune Ndlovu, Michael Mutasa, Katerere Nhete whose addresses are not known. Chitungwiza Central Hospital spokesperson Mrs Audrey Tasaranarwo said the people died in road traffic accidents, mainly hit and run incidents, drowned, were burnt in veld fires or were dumped by their relatives while they were ill.
“We are urgently calling for relatives of the deceased to come and take the bodies, which remained in the hospital for a period over 90 days,” she said.
Those missing their relatives in areas like Beatrice, Wedza and Chitungwiza are urged to help identify the bodies.
“This is not the first time we are experiencing this problem, but it has been happening since way back and even other hospitals such as Harare Hospital and Parirenyatwa have had the same problem before,” said Mrs Tasaranarwo.
Online Reporter