Mortuaries Face COVID-19 Pressure

Facing a crisis: Duncan Banyatsi. PIC PHATSIMO KAPENG
Facing a crisis: Duncan Banyatsi. PIC PHATSIMO KAPENG

Mortuaries are coming under increasing pressure due to COVID-19 deaths. Funeral Services Group operations manager in Botswana, Duncan Banyatsi said while the situation was still under control, it might get worse particularly after the country's biggest public health facility, Princess Marina Referral Hospital advised families to transfer bodies from the hospital immediately.

Banyatsi said this could see mortuaries bursting to the seams if COVID-19 deaths do not subside. Marina has decided to keep bodies for three days only, due to an escalation of deaths. Marina urged bereaved families to immediately transfer the bodies from the hospital. “We are currently having a surge in deaths in the hospital and our mortuary is overwhelmed.

It is then important to inform the relatives to arrange for the transfer of corpses 'immediately' at a time to their mortuary of choice. We are suspending our policy of three days waiting indefinitely,” the hospital said in a public statement. Last week, the country recorded 47 COVID-19 deaths in three days. In an interview, Banyatsi said they have faced increasing pressure in recent months. “Since COVID-19, the country has recorded over 1,300 deaths and our mortuary had buried 856 corpses from that number from our 20 branches.

Editor's Comment
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