dyton mupawaenda
Mutsawashe Mashandure–Herald Correspondent
Undertaking is not seen as a desirable career and with the shortage of personnel, the Harare Institute of Public Health (HIPH) has introduced a programme to train morticians, and possibly debunk myths around preparing the dead for burial and arranging funerals.
Speaking recently in an interview, HIPH Principal Dr Amos Marume said the college is seeking to shed more light on the medical course to increase employment opportunities, and seeing a need for training programmes that can produce skilled morticians who are committed to providing high-quality service.
“As a regulated school of higher and tertiary education we decided to enrol students in this mortician course starting on February 13. By doing this course, you will definitely find a job,” he said.
Dr Marume said the college is targeting mostly young people, to equip them with life sustaining skills.
“I encourage youth to join and study this course so that they will not spend time doing nothing and saying there are no jobs, yet this course needs more people and has many opportunities.
“We decided to put maturity science, which starts with NFC-level certificates, which can be done by someone who did Form 2. The national certificate requires one who has finished Form 4 and has five subjects. Thus, the programme aims to say that everyone deserves a dignified burial. It was always our culture to follow the procedure when dressing the dead.”
Dr Marume said the college would teach the students how to handle the bodies of the dead.
“Our teaching includes how to wash the body of the deceased, post-mortem, and how to handle the body of the deceased properly.
“We will teach them to prepare deceased bodies for end-of-life arrangements by embalming, dressing, cosmetically enhancing, reconstructing, casketing, and ultimately beautifying the body of the deceased. In smaller funeral homes, a funeral director may take on the mortuary duties, “he said.
Already several young people have applied for the course that will prepare them to handle bodies of deceased persons.
Online Reporter