Seven unclaimed bodies of cholera victims, kept at Beit Bridge District Hospital mortuary, were given a pauper’s burial.

An official at the Beit Bridge District Hospital who spoke to Mirror confirmed the development, saying the bodies were given a pauper’s burial at the local Makakavhule Cemetery, on the outskirts of the border town, on Friday.

“We had to conduct the burial of the seven unclaimed bodies that were kept at our mortuary after they had stayed there for several days. In fact, under the health regulations, bodies of cholera victims are not supposed to stay for a long period at the mortuary. The burial has to be monitored closely,” said the official.

The mortuary was designed to cater for only six bodies, but due to the ever-increasing number of unclaimed bodies, the facility is at times forced to accommodate as many as 60 bodies. This has resulted in the mortuary’s cooling system constantly breaking down, due to the strain.

Meanwhile, authorities at the hospital said the number of cholera deaths had subsidized, compared to the first days of the outbreak. The epidemic has claimed 100 lives in the Beit Bridge district since 14 November, when the disease was first detected. The disease has since spilled over into neighbouring Musina town, where it has since claimed eight lives and left 691 patients diagnosed.

The spokesperson for Musina Hospital, Mr Edward Malima, said although the hospital was overwhelmed with the huge influx of cholera victims, mostly Zimbabweans, they were managing to contain the epidemic.

“We have a total of 691 cholera patients, and you will note that about 93% of those are from Zimbabwe; however, everything is under control and our health experts are managing,” he said.

The South African government has since declared the entire area along the border with Zimbabwe a disaster area, following the outbreak of cholera from the neighbouring country. The move by government will ensure that enough resources are channeled towards the fight against the ever-increasing number of cholera cases in Musina and its vicinity.