Health says Okahandja State Hospital careless in rotting babies’ issue

Written by Patience Nyangove
Thursday, 11 February 2010

THE Ministry of Health and Social Services says the Okahandja State Hospital pathetically handled the delegation of mortuary and incinerator duties that led to the rotting of more than 10 foetus over the last four months. The Ministry’s spokesperson, Gladys Kamboo blamed lack of communication on the part of the hospital management, poor tracing of relatives and lack of consent as contributing factors for the delay in cremating the foetus some of which have been stuck in the mortuary from June 2009.



“The Ministry of Health and Social Services acknowledges the fact that there was weak delegation of mortuary and incinerator duties. The delay in incineration of the foetus was confirmed,” Kamboo said.

The Ministry also blamed the delay on the mortuary work-hand who went on leave the whole of December 2009 until 17 January 2010.

However, this does not explain why the majority of the foetus were stuck in the mortuary since June 2009 when the hospital, on admission of expectant mothers, took down contact details of their next of kin.

The Ministry also denied that there were 20 foetuses stuck in the mortuary but eight only.

“A visit to the Okahandja Mortuary was conducted by the hospital management team. Retained products of conception were noted in the mortuary cabinet at the time of the visit. There were no fully formed babies, but products of conception. At the time of the Informanté photographing, the foetuses (sic) in the mortuary were eight and not 20 as reported in your news article,” Kamboo said.

Two weeks ago Informanté reported that bodies of stillborn and premature babies who died between June and December 2009 at Okahandja Hospital had been lying in the mortuary forgotten by the authorities. The parents were not aware that their babies whose bodies are supposed to be disposed of by the hospital were still in the mortuary months after their deaths.

One of the mothers, Beala Williams-Neels who gave birth to stillborn twins on 7 November 2009 was shocked when a friend asked her if she was failing to give her boys a decent burial. The friend had seen the names of the unburied bodies on the list at the mortuary. A mortician at the hospital who refused to give his name said the mothers had no idea their babies’ bodies had not been cremated.