SABRINA DEAN – The Democratic Alliance in the Free State has again called for Premier Ace Magashule to sack health MEC Benny Malakoane, this time over an alleged lack of dignified treatment of deceased people.
Bloemfontein Courant last night received confirmation from police that they have had to contract the services of a private undertaker to assist with the bodies of people who have died of unnatural causes. Provincial spokesperson Billy Jones said police management took the decision Monday following problems at the weekend due to a strike by staff at the state mortuary in Bloemfontein.
The DA’s Mariette Pittaway says they believe the strike is due to non-payment of overtime. She says this is just one more indication of severe mismanagement in the department. “There should be a contingency plan but there was not.
"The reason, we believe, for the strike is because they have stopped paying overtime…”
She says this is also the case with the x-ray department at Universitas Hospital. “There is no money (in the health department). Now I ask you why is there no money? Because of mismanagement,” she says.
According to Jones, the decision to contract private undertakers was taken on Monday due to an unfortunate incident at the weekend where the body of a woman who was killed in a car accident had to lie in the sun for several hours. He says private funeral undertakers have now been contracted to remove bodies from crime or accident scenes and transport them to the Department of Health under police supervision.
Jones says the problem is mostly around Bloemfontein but adds provincial SAPS management is liaising with station commanders across the province in case they are experiencing similar challenges.
Pittaway says the DA will soon be submitting questions in the legislature.
Health spokesperson Mondli Mvambi has meanwhile said he will provide feedback on the situation later today.
