Crematorium breaks down again

ALTHOUGH the number of Covid-19 related deaths at Walvis Bay and Swakopmund have gone down, state mortuaries are still overflowing with bodies and the situation is now a concern for authorities.

According to the Erongo regional health director Anna Jonas, this is mainly because bodies at the two coastal towns are not being taken for cremation in Windhoek quickly enough.

This comes amid confirmation that the Windhoek crematorium – the only such facility in the country – has again broken down.

Jonas says there is little the ministry can do, as it is people’s wishes to be cremated.

“We are engaging the families but many of them tell us that it was the deceased’s wish to be cremated. Unfortunately, the crematorium in Windhoek can only take a specific number of bodies per day. That number is fixed and it is not a new protocol,” she said.

According to the City of Windhoek’s spokesperson Harold Akwenye, the delays in getting the remains of those who died of Covid-19 for cremation are a result of the ageing infrastructure which constantly breaks down.

“The challenge at the crematorium is the ageing creator which has become unreliable,” he said.

Because of the breakdowns, no cremation has taken place since the beginning of August, he said.

Akwenye added that they anticipate having the new machine running by the end of September, meaning the situation will remain the same until then.

He also said the delays were exacerbated by the bone crusher which is now obsolete and has been out of order for some time.

“The technical team is busy servicing the crematorium and the bone crusher was sent to an engineering company for repairs,” added Akwenye.

Although he gave an assurance that the problems will be resolved soon, he believes burial is the only alternative to create space in mortuaries.

Akwenye could not give an update on the crematorium that was constructed in 2018 for N$15 million.

The facility shut down three months into operation because of a gas leak. At the time The Namibian reported that the engineering company that was contracted to do the repairs had failed to do the job.

Meanwhile, those waiting for the crematorium to start working again will have to brace for additional mortuary storage fees the Ministry of Health and Social Services has started to enforce.

Storing bodies of state patients is free for the first five days and thereafter N$10 per day is charged if the person died in a state hospital. If the person died elsewhere N$10 per day is charged from the onset.

Private patients are charged N$100 if they died in the state hospital and N$150 if they died elsewhere.

The proposed period in which burial must take place is 10 days although this is not compulsory.

Undertakers say they will have to pass the mortuary storage fees to their clients.

Erongo regional governor Andre Neville said discussions for a crematorium to be constructed in the region will be added to the development agenda.