By Maimbo Mweemba
The University Teaching Hospital has requested Lusaka City Council to bury 34 unclaimed bodies at the hospitals mortuary.
And Lusaka City Council has since called on members of the public that have missing relatives or friends to check from the 34 unclaimed bodies at the UTH.
LCC public relations officer Emmanuel Lupikisha says that according to a letter received from the hospital, the 34 unclaimed bodies have been in the mortuary for a while and has given rise to an unpleasant mortuary environment contrary to the Public Health Act Cap 295 of the Laws of Zambia.
Mr Lupikisha said consequently, the council has placed a public notice in the press about its intention to bury the bodies, in accordance with the provisions of Section 16 (2), Paragraph 7, Sub-paragraph (b) of the First Schedule of the Local Government Act No. 2 of 2019 of Laws of Zambia.
“In accordance with the law, 14 days have been assigned in the notice for members of the general public to claim and identify any of the bodies and conduct burial, therefore, members of the public who may be missing their relatives or friends are encouraged to engage UTH management for possible identification of the bodies,” he said.
Mr Lupikisha said at the expiry of the assigned period, all bodies that will not be claimed shall be buried at Chingwere Cemetery.
He said this will be the fourth time this year that the council has received a request to bury unclaimed bodies.
