Revulsion at paupers’ burials

SOME Otjiwarongo residents have expressed dismay after two HIV-positive people who died recently were “dumped into plastic bags and thrown into graves” on Wednesday.

Anna Swartbooi from Okahandja and another man, only known as Johannes from the Kavango Region, died of AIDS-related complications in the Otjiwarongo Hospital. Swartbooi died on January 10 while Johannes died four months ago.Both had been in the mortuary since then.Katrina Nakee Nghilumbwa, who has been living with HIV for the past 11 years, said she was shocked when she saw how the two were buried.”Johannes was naked and in a plastic bag which one could see through while Anna was half covered with a cloth but also in a plastic bag and we could see her clearly.They were just thrown into the graves when we got there.The whole ceremony lasted for two minutes,” Nghilumbwa said.She was one of six people at the cemetery.Another person said blood was dripping from the plastic bag as they threw Johannes into the grave.”I could see all his nakedness and it was difficult for me to eat after what I experienced at the cemetery,” said the person.Nghilumbwa said the whole incident was a clear indication that there was still a lot of AIDS stigma.”The hospital could at least have bought them N$300 coffins,” said Nghilumbwa.”Even the boyfriend of Anna, who is also hospitalised here, was not at the so-called funeral.He heard from others that she was buried.Must you be buried like that just because you have no family members?” Nghilumbwa asked.Dr Sikota Zeko, head of the Otjiwarongo State Hospital, said he was aware of the burial but not how it was done.”It is the first time I hear about it,” he said when contacted by The Namibian.Another senior official, Mr Kahiri, who was with Dr Zeko when the newspaper called, said they would ensure that such an incident did not happen again.He said the Ministry of Health has stopped providing coffins for paupers’ burials.Community activist Ferdinand Muharukua said he had heard of the incident and was “very distraught”.”That is testament to the stigma that still exists towards HIV-positive people.At least provide them with a cheap coffin but don’t just dump them like that,” Muharukua said.He suggested that the community set up a fund to help bury those without relatives.Nghilumbwa said the dead need to be respected and buried with dignity.”It let me wonder: if there are no plastic bags left when I die, how will they bury me?” she said.Swartbooi died on January 10 while Johannes died four months ago.Both had been in the mortuary since then.Katrina Nakee Nghilumbwa, who has been living with HIV for the past 11 years, said she was shocked when she saw how the two were buried.”Johannes was naked and in a plastic bag which one could see through while Anna was half covered with a cloth but also in a plastic bag and we could see her clearly.They were just thrown into the graves when we got there.The whole ceremony lasted for two minutes,” Nghilumbwa said.She was one of six people at the cemetery.Another person said blood was dripping from the plastic bag as they threw Johannes into the grave.”I could see all his nakedness and it was difficult for me to eat after what I experienced at the cemetery,” said the person.Nghilumbwa said the whole incident was a clear indication that there was still a lot of AIDS stigma.”The hospital could at least have bought them N$300 coffins,” said Nghilumbwa. “Even the boyfriend of Anna, who is also hospitalised here, was not at the so-called funeral.He heard from others that she was buried.Must you be buried like that just because you have no family members?” Nghilumbwa asked.Dr Sikota Zeko, head of the Otjiwarongo State Hospital, said he was aware of the burial but not how it was done.”It is the first time I hear about it,” he said when contacted by The Namibian.Another senior official, Mr Kahiri, who was with Dr Zeko when the newspaper called, said they would ensure that such an incident did not happen again.He said the Ministry of Health has stopped providing coffins for paupers’ burials.Community activist Ferdinand Muharukua said he had heard of the incident and was “very distraught”.”That is testament to the stigma that still exists towards HIV-positive people.At least provide them with a cheap coffin but don’t just dump them like that,” Muharukua said.He suggested that the community set up a fund to help bury those without relatives.Nghilumbwa said the dead need to be respected and buried with dignity.”It let me wonder: if there are no plastic bags left when I die, how will they bury me?” she said.