Pandemic death wave hits crematorium

THE only crematorium in Namibia, which is in Windhoek, cannot keep up with the country’s third Covid-19 wave.

Most cremations nowadays are as a result of the novel coronavirus.

By yesterday, Namibia has recorded close to 2 000 deaths linked to Covid-19.

City of Windhoek spokesperson Harold Akwenye says the city’s crematorium is cremating at least four bodies per day.

“The limited number of people allowed to attend funerals has brought a high demand for cremations. Most families are cremating to keep the ashes and bury their loved ones later […] to allow for more funeral attendees,” Akwenye says.

He says most of the requests for cremation are from the //Kharas and Erongo regions.

“The challenge is that paperwork is not done in time. The machine was under routine maintenance and operations were to start last Thursday,” he says.

To cremate a family member costs Windhoek residents N$950 and non-residents N$1 665.

Allan Hartung of Western Funerals Services at Walvis Bay estimates that the cost of cremating a body from the Erongo region is around N$16 000, all-inclusive.

“The full price includes transport, City of Windhoek fees, a cremation coffin (of between N$2 500 and N$3 500), cremated ashes, coffin or urn, documentation and service fees,” he says.

Jimmy Goeieman of Kalahari Funeral Services at Keetmanshoop says he has only dealt with a few requests for cremation.

He estimates the cost of cremating a body from the
//Kharas region at N$23 000.

“It’s an option I discuss with clients, especially now during Covid. But people still prefer the normal burial. They want to see a body,” he says.

Social worker Doris Roos advises people to consider cremation to ease the pressure on both the state’s mortuaries and undertakers.

“Even though it is a difficult decision for us, it should be an option … We are running out of graves and burial grounds,” Roos says.

In the Erongo region, additional mortuary capacity in the form of prefabricated mobile mortuaries, has been acquired for Swakopmund and Walvis Bay.

Erongo regional governor Neville Andre believes this will ease the burden on state mortuaries.

“Usakos is being assisted by the Namibian Airforce with a mobile mortuary. The region is in the process of acquiring additional mortuary space for Usakos and Omaruru.

“Some families prefer cremation, which delays burials, because it is only done in Windhoek,” Andre says.

Omaruru District Hospital’s mortuary is under more pressure as it serves the Omaruru and Daures constituencies.

Omaruru constituency councillor Ernest Weather says the situation is dire.

“We only have space for six bodies at the hospital morgue. We are dealing with at least two deaths a day. Space is filling up. We are also looking at acquiring a mobile mortuary,” he says.

Weather says plans are underway to turn the town’s old hospital into a Covid-19 ward.

The Erongo region has one functional police mortuary at Walvis Bay which can accommodate 12 bodies.

According to inspector Ileni Shapumba, the Erongo police unit commander for community affairs, the police mortuary is off limits for Covid-19 bodies.

“Police mortuaries cannot handle Covid-19 bodies and avoid contamination. We only keep bodies for police investigations,” he says.

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