Chronicle Editor
Lovemore Zigara, Midlands Correspondent
HEALTH facilities in the Midlands province have 68 unclaimed bodies in their mortuaries, some of which have been there for about 10 years.
Midlands Minister of State for Provincial Affairs Cde Owen Ncube said he has since directed the Department of Social Welfare to inter some of the bodies in the next two weeks.
He said out of the 68 unclaimed bodies, police had since cleared 38 for pauper burial.
“We have about 68 unclaimed bodies in mortuaries in public health facilities across the province. I have since directed the Department of Social Welfare to clear some of these bodies from the mortuary because they have stayed there for a long time and some might be decomposing. Out of 68 unclaimed bodies about 38 so far have been cleared by the police and are now awaiting burial.”
“Some of them are still are under police investigations hence we cannot bury them. However, we implore the police to do their work diligently so that some of the bodies are buried,” said Cde Ncube.
He said most unclaimed bodies can be attributed to unidentified victims of road accidents and those from charity homes.
“The two Gokwe Districts, North and South have a number of such cases. The majority of unclaimed bodies come from charity homes, or are the unidentified victims of accidents especially those who are not properly documented,” he added.
The State has an obligation to conduct pauper burials for unidentified bodies.
Most public hospitals simply do not have the money to decently bury unclaimed bodies.
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