State mortuaries countrywide are becoming desperate as unclaimed bodies pile up, with the government urgently calling for families with missing loved ones to contact their nearest police station.
Dr Sibogiseni Dhlomo, from Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Health, said there were now 3 186 bodies in state mortuaries, with KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape leading the pack, reports TimesLIVE.
“KZN accounts for 1 527 cases while the Eastern Cape has 526 cases. Many bodies are unclaimed due to a lack of identity documents and because relatives have not come forward to identify or retrieve them,” said Dhlomo.
Factors contributing to the issue also include “municipal challenges”, delays in collecting DNA samples, insufficient burial sites and difficulties in identifying foreign nationals.
Committee members raised concerns about the implications of unclaimed bodies for public health and safety, while some highlighted the need for transparency, regarding allegations of corruption in mortuaries where families have reportedly been charged excessive fees to claim bodies.
The committee also questioned the efficiency of DNA collection and testing protocols and sought clarity on how the department plans to address the backlog hindering the identification of the bodies.
Last year, MedicalBrief published a News24 report in which Gauteng Health had said the identification of unknown bodies in mortuaries was expected to be a thing of the past with the launch of a new forensic pathology service digital fingerprint system that would now identify bodies in just two minutes.
Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko said the system used biometrics technology and had access to the databases of the Department of Home Affairs, the SA Police Service and the National Credit Bureau.
The department said the number of unidentified bodies in Gauteng mortuaries had been reduced from 938 to 691 because of the innovation.
This week, NDoH said it would establish a task team to manage unclaimed bodies, acknowledging a backlog at forensic labs hampered DNA sample processing.
Plans are under way to speed up testing through collaboration with police and improved resource allocation, it added.
“The department acknowledged the need for a robust tracking system for unidentified bodies and committed to exploring a centralised database accessible to families and relevant authorities,” Dhlomo said.
Deputy Health Minister Joe Phaahla said a comprehensive overview of progress regarding unclaimed bodies will be provided in October, detailing actions taken by the newly established national forensic pathology service committee.
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Unclaimed bodies pile up in SA state mortuaries
Fingerprint system to clear backlog of unclaimed bodies