We are part of a society that neglects their dead in hospital facilities

The reason for my aggrieved emotions is because throughout my life never did it once cross my mind that one day I would be part of a society that sees nothing wrong in neglecting their dead in hospital facilities.

It seems when they pass on, we deem it alright to discard their remains like garbage.

As an adult, a parent, a father of two daughters and a grandfather, I was taught from childhood to respect “death” and to regard the “burial” process as an honour through which the bereaved family, friends and relatives of the deceased bid their beloved farewell.

Thus, to me and many families, a burial remains a solemn act of appreciation and a grand spectacle of love, respect and dignity for the dearly departed by the family.

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After death, the burial of the deceased is always treated as a special occasion and the pinnacle of giving the deceased person a deserving farewell as the dead body is accompanied on its journey to its final resting place. It is always the actual interment of the body into the grave that remains the grand finale and a tribute to the deceased person.

After the burial is over, members of the bereaved family would enter into a period of mourning, which is often determined by the status of the deceased. The head male of the family, or perhaps his wife would be provided with the highest honour and this would cascade down the family line.

Children and young adults, including single men and women and depending on their rank status and hierarchy in the family are often mourned for over different lengths of time.

And it always after the “burial implements” used by the family are “cleansed” and the mourning period finally comes to an end that the mourning family of the deceased celebrates and marks the occasion by slaughtering an animal, be it a sheep or cattle, again, depending who was buried.

Once all this is done, then the family would consider their loved one as having been given a ‘proper burial” and a deserving farewell by members of his family and all the rituals and customs had been followed and fulfilled. And only then can the deceased also be declared to have been given a meaningful and complete burial by his or her family.

ALSO READ: Unclaimed bodies pose a headache for Thelle Mogoerane Hospital

Sadly, this cannot be said about the several unclaimed bodies at the Thelle Mogoerane Hospital’s mortuary rooms.
Due to limited space in their cold rooms, the Vosloorus hospital is forced to deal with scores of unclaimed bodies of deceased people at their mortuary.

As the local community newspaper, we regard the situation at the hospital’s mortuary as deeply distressing.
According to the hospital’s media officer, Joseph Monareng, the failure by families to claim the bodies of their loved ones from the hospital after death is “un African”.

He explained that the hospital has limited space and can only accommodate a certain number of bodies in their refrigerators. And sadly these bodies can only be accommodated for a specific period, beyond which they have to be given a ‘pauper’s funeral.

Monareng is appealing to families who have unclaimed bodies of dead family members at the hospital to come forward and claim these bodies for burial.

“We would like to see these bodies claimed by their loved ones and given decent burials by their families instead of finally being buried by the State in an undignified pauper’s burial,” said Monareng.

Should you wish to contact the Thelle Mogoerane Hospital regarding the unclaimed body of your, child, relative or close family member.

ALSO READ: Unclaimed bodies pose a headache for Thelle Mogoerane Hospital