Question NW3661 to the Minister of Health
13 December 2017 - NW3661
Kohler, Ms D to ask the Minister of Health
What (a) is the total number of mortuaries that are currently administered by his department in each province, (b) is the total number of bodies that are currently awaiting autopsies at each mortuary, (c) is the average time period that a body has to wait at each mortuary before an autopsy can be done and (d) was the longest time period a body had to wait before an autopsy could be done in each case?
Reply:
According to the Provincial Departments of Health, the following table reflects the details in this regard.
Province |
Total number of mortuaries currently administered |
Total number of bodies currently awaiting autopsies at each mortuary* |
Average time period that a body has to wait at each mortuary before an autopsy can be done |
The longest time period a body had to wait before an autopsy could be done in each case |
Eastern Cape |
18 |
0 |
2 days |
2 days |
Gauteng |
11 |
0 |
2 days |
3 days |
Kwa-Zulu Natal |
34 |
314 |
3 days |
4 days |
Limpopo |
12 |
12 |
3-5 days |
7-10 days (mostly fetuses and skeletal remains) |
Mpumalanga |
20 |
10 |
1-3 days |
5-15 days |
Northern Cape |
6 and 3 holding facilities |
12 |
2-3 days |
19 days (one body at Calvinia) |
North West |
7 |
7 |
1-4 days |
2-7 days |
END.