PARIRENYATWA Group of Hospitals will soon conduct burials for 32 unclaimed bodies lying in its mortuaries since March 2022.
The institution has given a 21-day ultimatum for the relatives to claim and collect corpses, or the State would take responsibility of burials.
The deceased are Edmore Phiri, Unknown Chombe, Kissmore Sakala, Tinashe Moyo, Sibongile Unknown, Miriam Ncube, Liberty Chikomo, Moleen Mukoki, Muzan Collen, David Chinembiri.
The other 22 have not been named.
“The following bodies have been unclaimed in the Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals mortuary from 10 March 2022 to 03 October 2022.
“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.
“The claim period will end after (21) twenty-one days. Unclaimed bodies will be given paupers’ burial by the State. For further information, relatives of the deceased can contact Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals (PGH) on 0242 701555-7, the Head of Public Relations – Mr L. Dhire on cell 0774252178 or the Mortuary Supervisor- Mrs S. Madyamhuru on 0773220082/0715812561,” reads the notice.
In 2021, twelve unclaimed bodies were also laid under the same circumstances.
In 2020,Chitungwiza Hospital also conducted pauper burials for 31 unclaimed bodies.
Unclaimed bodies are usually buried in mass graves and without coffins in some instances, paupers reach their final destination in circumstances even more shameful than those of wild animals.
In Zimbabwe, pauper’s burials have become extra indigent as many State hospitals simply do not have the money to decently bury unclaimed bodies. – Newzim
