France Sibisi, senior administrating officer of Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital Mortuary says, slow administrative processes have been blamed for the overcrowding, leading to Aaron Leburu’s body being kept in the morgue for more than a week.
Sibisi said, “The hospital’s morgue is storing more than 90 adult cadavers that have long passed the statutory 30 days for bodies to be kept in a mortuary. There are also the corpses of more than 100 babies who were either stillborn or died after being abandoned at birth, with as many as 30 piled on a tray designed for a single adult cadaver.”
“When a death occurs, the family will have to obtain a Certificate of Cause of Death (CCOD), which is received at the hospital. With the CCOD, the family may register the death. This will have to be done within 24 hours of the death.
“Upon registration of the death, the CCOD will be retained by the death registration centre and a Death Certificate will be given to the family. You will need this Death Certificate to place an obituary in the papers, engage a funeral director, and when you make arrangements for cremation or burial,” said Sibisi.
Natural cause of death
· If a person dies in hospital of natural causes, the doctor will issue a death notice. Many private hospitals don’t have mortuary facilities, in those cases a funeral director needs to be contacted immediately to collect the deceased. State hospitals generally have mortuary facilities; the body must remain there until a death notice is issued.
Unnatural cause of death
· If a person dies in hospital of unnatural causes, the body will need to be transferred to a state mortuary for a compulsory postmortem (autopsy). The state mortuary will then issue a death notice.
An autopsy, also known as a postmortem examination, is a process whereby a pathologist or forensic pathologist examines the decedent’s body to help determine cause of death. An autopsy usually includes the examination of internal organs.
Sibisi said, “Funeral or ceremonial planning may be delayed if an autopsy is needed or if the death investigation takes additional time. Coroners and pathologists are aware that religious, spiritual or cultural practices may dictate time frames for funeral planning and other ceremonies or services. In such cases, families should notify the coroner immediately so that every effort can be made to accommodate these requests.”
“Reports are provided once the death investigation is concluded. The length of time needed to complete an investigation varies depending on its complexity, including the number of tests required. Each death investigation is unique. Family members can contact the investigating coroner or the regional office for an update,” said Sibisi.
He said: “Bodies are piling up in the mortuary owing to a backlog in paupers’ burials. With regards unidentified bodies a pauper’s funeral should be done and paid for by the state after all attempts to reach families. Families who cannot afford burial are advised to consult their local councillors and social workers for financial assistance and funeral arrangements.”
