[ad_1]
By Chevon Booysen, Vernon Mchunu 
1 hour ago
Cape Town – Local funeral homes say they are under great pressure as a result of the accumulation of corpses in hospitals.
A Khayelitsha undertaker, who asked that his identity be concealed, said Tygerberg Hospital was experiencing particular delays in death notification forms.
“This is a very challenging and worrying situation. We have undertakers who have been waiting for days for the hospital to discharge up to six bodies, as the hospital is experiencing delays.
“The worst thing is that there is also a problem in the supply chain, when we cannot even get the BI-1663 (death notification) forms, since the books are full and there are no more in the hospital, so we have to Wait even longer, ”said the Undertaker.
In addition to the challenge, the bodies that had to be transported to other provinces were further delayed.
“We are stuck in Tygerberg for hours with grieving families waiting for answers about their loved ones so we can make the necessary arrangements. It is a very frustrating experience for both funeral services and the families of the deceased.
“These bodies are not embalmed during the time they are in hospital morgues, and many of them have to be transported to other provinces.
“What will happen to that body when it arrives at the funeral home? The whole process is delayed as a result of the hospital’s delay, ”he said.
Tygerberg Hospital spokeswoman Laticia Pienaar said: “Tygerberg management is aware of the situation and wishes to express our deepest condolences to all affected families who have been affected by the delays.
“Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond the hospital’s control and a higher than usual number of deaths in the hospital, there were delays in the process during the last days. In partnership with the Department of the Interior, measures have been implemented to expedite the process. We apologize for any inconvenience caused, ”said Pienaar.
Meanwhile, as the Covid-19-related death toll continues to rise in eThekwini and surrounding areas, the municipality is facing imminent disaster due to lack of burial space.
Funeral homes are also under pressure from grieving families who urgently want to bury their loved ones.
Funeral magnate Goodman Ncanda of the Ncanda funeral group said that in his 17-year career he had never buried so many people in such a short time.
“During the second wave of Covid-19, I had to bury an unprecedented 60 bodies in one day,” he said.
Adding to the problem, Ncanda said, was the fact that Internal Affairs offices were jammed with people requesting death certificates and burial orders.
“The number of deaths is growing rapidly. Home Affairs is having to deal with much larger volumes of applicants. The situation has reached a scale of unsustainable proportions, ”he said.
EThekwini Parks, Recreation and Culture Department Head Thembinkosi Ngcobo said: “In my entire career, spanning more than 20 years, being responsible for cemeteries and crematoria, I have never been under the kind of pressure that we have had in the last two years. to three weeks. “
Cape times
[ad_2]
