The Ministry of Health in Democratic Republic of Congo have expressed deep concern over the alarming situation with the rising number of dead bodies abandoned in Kinshasa hospital morgues.
According to a report released on Friday by the General Health Inspectorate, about 2,287 bodies remain unclaimed for several years in various funeral facilities in Kinshasa.
These figures were confirmed by an identification and burial mission, currently underway, which has also encountered difficulties, particularly due to poor cooperation from provincial services.
In the face of this worsening crisis, the governor of the city-province of Kinshasa has since asked to assess the situation and propose urgent measures to address this public health problem.
The Ministry of Health stressed that while mortuaries are essential for the preservation and examination of bodies, regulations require that bodies be buried within 10 days of receipt, unless judicial inquests are necessary.
This accumulation not only creates a health risk but also raises urgent ethical and logistical questions for the capital to resolve.
Authorities are working to address the crisis by stepping up efforts to identify bodies and easing burial procedures to ease pressure on the capacity of the city’s morgues.
