Bloemfontein mortuary closed until further notice for violations

The Department of Employment and Labour has closed down a government mortuary in Bloemfontein until further notice for violating the Occupational Health Safety Act.

The department said it conducted the inspection last week after it received a complaint about a number of issues at the facility.

Mortuary inspection

“The inspectors found water leakages which could cause serious harm and fatalities to workers should they come into contact with exposed electrical wires. For these reasons, the Forensic Pathology Services (Department of Health) was issued with a prohibition notice.”

The labour department said the mortuary was issued with three additional notices for the failure to ensure a proper ventilation system in the post-mortem room and risking exposure to Bioaerosols.

“Failure to identify and mitigate against various hazards associated with pathological services and sewage blockage resulting from post-mortem discharge.”

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Closed until further notice

 Provincial Chief Inspector Manelisi Luxande said the problems are concerning.

“The depth and magnitude of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act violation necessitated the four prohibition notices issued. The inspectorate would not gamble with the health and safety of employees including the public”.

“The facility will remain closed until the Department of Health adequately implements corrective measures to the OHS findings as determined by the inspectors,” Luxande said

Bodies piling up

Last month, the Portfolio Committee on Health revealed that more than 3000 unclaimed corpses were piling up in forensic pathology mortuaries across South Africa.

It was revealed that as of August this year, the country had 3,186 unclaimed persons.

The unclaimed bodies have been stored for periods ranging from five months to three years.

According to the policy of unclaimed bodies Regulation 341, families have up to 30 days to claim the body of their loved one.

The former minister of Health, Joe Phaahla, earlier this year said a body not identified must be moved to a freezer within seven days of admission.

Phaahla emphasised that facilities with unidentified bodies are required to collect and archive thorough documentation, comprising a photograph, fingerprints, and blood or tissue sample.

Additional reporting by Enkosi Selane

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