Kadoma Council issues cholera-related deaths’ burial procedures
By Susan Tembo
The City of Kadoma jas issued a cholera burial management notice to its residents who have been urged urged to abide by the stated burial procedures.
The council said it has been facing challenges in managing cholera-related deaths. According to xustom, residents usually attend a cholera funeral in numbers, wait for days before burial as well as bring the corpse home for final rites. However, with cholera deaths, this is not supposed to be so, according to the Health Director, Dr. Daniel Chirundu.
“If a suspected cholera death occurs either at the treatment center or at home, stools specimen is collected and tested,” Dr Chirundu said.
“If the tested body shows a positive result, cholera burial procedure is then followed. Relatives are notified. If it’s a community death, the family members then report to the police. The place is disinfected for free.
“The body is supposed to be buried within 24 hours and is not supposed to be moved from one location to another. Cooking is only allowed for close relatives and gathering at the funeral is prohibited. Meanwhile, the body will be kept at the treatment center mortuary or Kadoma General hospital mortuary. After all papers are done, the body is put in a body bag by council morticians,” he said.
The body is then taken straight to the grave where the burial is being supervised by health authorities. The council provides free transport and a free grave for cholera-related deaths.
“This is because of Hunhu we have as Africans where a person is a person through other people. A dead person should receive a befitting burial,” said the health Director.
This notice, announced on May 5, was comes as the City Health Department was faced with a multiplicity of problems on cholera-related deaths. Most relatives were resistant and would want to gather in numbers, move the body from one place to another and even hold body viewing. Some could even resist advice from health authorities.
However, the city health is appealing to its residents to abide by cholera funeral and burial procedures so as to prevent the continuous spread of the scourge in the city and the country at large.
As of May 5, 2024, Kadoma City recorded 1 407 cholera cases since January 8, 2024. It also has recorded 18 cholera deaths, nine are related to the treatment center whilst other nine are community based, of those who did not seek medical attention. The City is making efforts to curb the spread of this disease despite the challenges it is facing.
