The country’s biggest hospital, Parirenyatwa says all unclaimed bodies will be disposed of in pauper burials in 21 days.
The hospital released a statement saying that it has 32 bodies unclaimed bodied since March this year.
“The hospital is requesting relatives or family members of the dearly deceased persons to come forward and claim the bodies and give them a decent burial,” reads the statement.
Parirenyatwa says the bodies are affecting service delivery as they are limiting the mortuary’s capacity through permanent residency.
The hospital says the bodies are of adults aged between 22 and 80. Some died from road crash injuries while others were picked up by police from different locations.
Public hospital often resort to pauper burials to clear their mortuary space. Parirenyatwa floated a tender for pauper burial services in August this year.
Some bodies may be of people that no one has reported missing while others could be lying abandoned because survivors cannot afford burial costs.
A private funeral service operator told Zim Now that with no funeral insurance in place, a minimum of US$500 is needed to cover a burial.
“That would cover processing papers, paying for the grave, transport and a very basic coffin.”
He said other costs like food for the wake and transport for mourners to attend the burial are extra.
Funeral insurance costs from around US$1 a month to cover one person to the value of US$500.
There has been a recent outcry on social media with people debating if the cost of funeral insurance is worth the service.
Leave Comments