Alone in death: Unclaimed bodies in Tanzania’s mortuaries

Dar es Salaam. There is a growing trend of unclaimed bodies of patients that die in public hospitals without identification or having relatives and guardians to collect for burial as per requirements of customs and beliefs.

This is in contrast to usual procedures that require respect and burial of beloved ones, according to religious beliefs and customs.

But, the growing trend leaves the responsibility to municipalities and city councils to bury unclaimed bodies in their respective areas.

 Dar es Salaam City Council (DCC), has set graves for the unclaimed bodies in Kinondoni’s Mwananyala, Ununio and Mwanagati in Ilala.

An official, who preferred anonymity because he is not authorised to speak, at the Mwananyamala Referral Hospital told The Citizen that 44 unclaimed bodies were reported at the facility in 2020, before increasing to 50 in 2021.

Hospital official attributed the growing trend to road accidents, mob killings, abandoned patients in hospitals, homeless people among the cases.

“Victims of road accidents are usually taken to hospitals by police and Good Samaritans making it difficult to get to their relatives even after advertising and re-advertising,” said the source.

Furthermore, the source said mob killings was another cause of the growing trend as angry people may attack others in the streets allegedly implicating them with crime incidents.

The source says mob killings especially to suspects of theft leave the most of them completely burnt into ashes beyond recognition.

“There are patients admitted to hospitals for a long period for specialised treatment. However, they are abandoned by relatives and friends fearing the burden of treatment charges. They finally end at becoming unclaimed bodies once such patients die,” said the source.

Furthermore, the source says there were cases where women abandoned newborns over different reasons including financial challenges they face.

DCC Health officer Reginald Mlay says at the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, many unclaimed bodies were buried by the city council.

“Some of these bodies were collected from streets with the victims being homeless individuals. In one incident that occurred at Mnazi Mmoja, five bodies were recovered,” he narrated.

“Only one body of the five was identified and transported to upcountry for burial by relatives. However, the remaining four bodies had to be buried by the council,” he added.

He outlined procedures followed by the city council before burying unclaimed bodies as waiting for relatives and guardians for between 14 and 21 days, during which advertisements are circulated on mainstream and social media. “The city council is obliged to bury unclaimed bodies. But, in Dar es Salaam bodies are buried in respective municipal councils,” he said.

Sharing his 10-year experience on the job, he said rarely do relatives resurface to claim the bodies.

“Most of the time they come forward and claim payments whenever the government is intending to implement development projects, hence demanding relocation of some graves,” he said.

A source from the Mwananyamala Referral Hospital suggested that it was high time members of the public should carry identity cards (IDs) with them, especially those from the National Identification Authority (Nida).

“This will enable law enforcers and social welfare officers to locate the residency and origin of abandoned patients. Social welfare workers and clerics should preach for changes to reduce incidents of people abandoning their relatives in hospitals,” he says.

Hospitals should also set a mechanism that will enable reports of unclaimed bodies to be broadly advertised in order to reach the majority of citizens in urban and rural areas.

Singida District Council social welfare officer Raphael Tiluhongelwa said unclaimed bodies are rarely reported in the region, unless too few cases of patients are taken to hospitals by Good Samaritans.

“The guidelines to prevent retaining deceased bodies in hospitals should be well implemented. Relatives should be allowed to collect bodies of the deceased and claim for clearance of treatment bills later,” he said.

“Hospitals shouldn’t end taking patients’ particulars only, but they should take those of relatives who accompany them. It will ease the process of searching for relatives and members of the family in case the patient dies,” he added.

According to him, social welfare officers in different cities, municipalities and district councils should collect challenges that have led to children running to streets.

“Children should be collected in centres pending efforts of resolving identity challenges and uniting them with their respective families,” he said.

The Dar es Salaam City Council social welfare coordinator for homeless children, Ms Lilian Chillo, said most street children have lost bonds with parents, relatives and guardians.

She said the council has started the process of identifying homeless children, their needs, and caring for them in a special system called the National Integrated Case Management (NICM).

“Those wishing to be reunited with relatives, parents and guardians will do so. But, those who will completely lack places to go will be rehabilitated at the centres,” she said.