Patricia Kopane, Free State Premier candidate of the DA made an unannounced visit to the state mortuary in Bloemfontein this morning to conduct inspections.
According to Kopane concerns of employees as well as the maintenance of facilities were on her priority list during this visit.
An operations manager at the mortuary, Earnest Lesabe, told visiting party that there are 40 bodies that arrived as far back as March 2018 that have not yet been claimed by family members.
Bloemfontein Courant joined the party as an inspection was conducted. When entering the building the visitors were greeted by an unpleasant smell. This may be caused by issues with ventilation as well as freezers in which bodies are kept.
Issues of staff becoming overworked were also raised as well as inadequate protective clothing while conducting autopsies. Kopane stated that this has a negative effect on the morale of the civil servants who work there.
Kopane also visited the National District Hospital on Wednesday to uncover potential challenges faced at the health institution. – Nomaqhawe Mtebele
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