Beitbridge residents in Zimbabwe are now flocking with their relatives’ corpses to Musina mortuaries, following the closing down of the Beitbridge District Hospital mortuary, Mirror has established.

The latest development follows a recent breakdown of the equipment and machinery at the only mortuary in Beitbridge.

The district medical officer for Beitbridge Hospital, Dr Nyasha Masuka, told Mirror that the cooling system at the mortuary constantly broke down, as it was being strained by the huge number of bodies. "Our mortuary was designed to accommodate only six bodies at a given time, but due to the ever-increasing number of unclaimed bodies, it ends up handling as many as 60 bodies, thereby putting pressure on the facility. That eventually resulted in the machinery’s breaking down," he said.

Most of the unclaimed bodies are of ailing border jumpers and illegal immigrants deported from South Africa through the Beitbridge border post.

When Mirror recently visited the mortuary, shortly after its closure, there were several decomposing bodies strewn all over the floor. Most of the corpses were of deportees kept at the mortuary after authorities had failed to locate their relatives.

"Right now, a number of local people are resorting to taking their relatives’ bodies to neighbouring Musina, due to the breakdown of the machinery," Masuka said. Most of the corpses are taken to private funeral parlours such Doves, where they are then kept while awaiting burial back in Zimbabwe.

However, only the few privileged ones with money can afford to take their relatives to Musina mortuaries, while the majority is now resorting to burying their deceased relatives on the same day that they die.

Due to the deteriorating economic situation in Zimbabwe, the government is failing to maintain public facilities such as hospitals, a move that is now compromising the health delivery system in that country, and as a result, Musina hospital is now bearing the brunt as Zimbabwean patients are now streaming into the border town of Musina for treatment and, in the long run, putting a strain on the facilities for the Musina residents.