Authorities shut down filthy mortuary following complaints from neighbours
A man stands in front of Kyazanga health Centre IV mortuary which leaders closed on June 6, 2022. Photo | Gertrude Mutyaba
What you need to know:
- This follows complaints from residents that the untreated bodies are kept longer in the morgue before being taken for burial.
- The facility is located within the town where there are different private businesses including restaurants, shops and residential houses.
Authorities in Kyazanga Town Council in Lwengo District have resolved to close the Kyazanga Health Centre IV mortuary over a pungent smell emanating from the facility.
This follows complaints from residents that the untreated bodies are kept longer in the morgue before being taken for burial.
The facility is located within the town where there are different private businesses including restaurants, shops and residential houses.
Ms Maada Nanyanzi, the chairperson of Kyazanga Town Council, said they have on several occasions complained about the poor state of the morgue, but Lwengo District leadership, which manages it, has failed to fix it.
“The sanitation conditions at the mortuary are appalling because it has spent three years without an attendant. The bad smell coming out has forced some neighbours to vacate their homes and that is why we have decided to close it,” she said in an interview on Monday.
On average, Kyazanga Health Centre IV keeps three unclaimed bodies every week which translates to 12 bodies a month.
Most of the unclaimed bodies are victims of road accidents and gunshots during robberies.
In the meantime, Ms Nanyanzi said all unclaimed bodies from the unit will either been taken to Masaka Regional Referral Hospital or Lyantonde General Hospital morgues.
“Even the cemetery where unclaimed bodies are buried is also full and we ask the district to swiftly help secure another piece of land which is spacious enough to house a new cemetery,” she added.
Mr Andrew Kaggwa, the chairperson of Lweera Village in Kyazanga Town Council, said the unclaimed bodies sometime spend a month at the morgue before they are buried at the public cemetery.
Ms Hadijah Namubiru, a resident near the mortuary, suggests that the district erects a perimeter wall separating the morgue from residential area.
Dr John Bwanika, the officer in charge of Kyazanga Health Centre IV, admitted the problem, saying the small room currently used to store unclaimed bodies doesn’t qualify to be a morgue.
“A morgue must have an attendant, chemicals used to preserve bodies, refrigerators and other related equipment which we don’t have. We just use it [small room] simply because we lack a mortuary. We ask the government to help us with a modern mortuary with all necessary equipment,” he added.
Lwengo District Chairperson, Mr Ibrahim Kitatta asked residents neighbouring the mortuary to remain calm as they find a solution to the problem.
“I will not reveal our plan now because we need to first discuss it in our district council. We ask our people to give us more time as we look for a solution,” he said.
