Poor mortuary standards worry mourners

Some mourners at Lewanika General Hospital in Mongu are concerned at the continued deteriorating standards at the hospital mortuary where bodies are reportedly decomposing while in the refrigerators.

Mourners complained in interview with ZANIS this morning that the mortuary units are malfunctioning therefore not providing the required standard temperatures for storing the dead bodies.

Speaking on behalf of other mourners, Abiud Dilema complained that the units are not freezing the corpses adding that most of the dead bodies are decomposing while in the refrigerators.

And Western Province Medical Officer Andrew Silumesii said that the institution was aware about the problem and that it had already put appropriate measures in place to address the problem.

Dr Silumesii noted that the mortuary units at the hospital were obsolete and needed  to be replaced with modern equipment.

But acting Medical Superintendent Likambi Kambinda has maintained that the units were able to freeze bodies and are holding the required temperatures.

He said that only four trays in the refrigerators are not functional and maintained  that the institution was in the process of hiring an expert to repair the faulty trays.

Meanwhile, Principal Environmental Officer Sibajene Leo told ZANIS in a separate interview that three unclaimed bodies have been in the mortuary for two months now.

He disclosed that the institution has already communicated to the council in the district to help with the disposal of the three bodies that are still in the mortuary.

Mourners have since called on government to construct a modern mortuary in the area.