Friday, March 29, 2024

UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Zambia donates assorted goods to UTH Mortuary workers.

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A mortuary trolley donated by UNHCR
A mortuary trolley donated by UNHCR

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Zambia yesterday officially handed over assorted goods to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) Mortuary workers.

This is contained in a media release made available to the media by Kelvin Shimoh, UNHCR Zambia, Public Information Associate.

During the hand-over, UNHCR Representative Ms Joyce Mends-Cole, accompanied by a number of staff, described the work of mortuary workers as critical for everyone, whether deceased or those left to mourn.

She spoke of UNHCR’s recent loss of two staff members within a short space of time and recognized the role that mortuary workers had played at the time. She called on society to respect and value their contribution to the health delivery system.

Some of the items donated include gum-boots, postmortem gowns, face masks, laboratory coats, percussion hammers, scalpel handles and a mortuary trolley.
Some of the items donated include gum-boots, postmortem gowns, face
masks, laboratory coats, percussion hammers, scalpel handles and a
mortuary trolley.

“I was listening to a BBC programme about the stigma and ostracism suffered by mortuary workers in Zambia and elsewhere. So we are here today to appreciate your commitment to the dignity of the dead, sacrifice in the face of stigma and the risk contracting of diseases. As UNHCR staff, and on behalf of the refugees in Zambia who have benefited from UTH services in general and the mortuary in particular, we thought of giving these items to make your work easier and safer,” said Ms.Mends-Cole.

The UNHCR Representative expressed her gratitude to the people of Zambia in general for their hospitality to refugees and UTH in particular for taking care of refugees who are referred to the Hospital from the designated refugee settlements of Mayukwayukwa and Meheba.

UNHCR Representative to Zambia, Ms Joyce Mends-Cole
UNHCR Representative to Zambia, Ms Joyce Mends-Cole

“We thought it important to contribute to this institution – UTH – which provides medical services to both the host community and the refugees. We would like to thank the UTH management for their continued co-operation with my office and the refugees. We realize that mortuary workers play a very important role but are not recognised, so we chose to make this humble donation to the UTH Mortuary workers to put a smile on their faces” said the UNHCR Representative Refugees are regularly referred from the Ministry of Health run clinics within the refugee settlements and are admitted to UTH, where they are provided with the same health care as any other patient,” said Ms. Mends-Cole.

Some of the items donated include gum-boots, postmortem gowns, face masks, laboratory coats, percussion hammers, scalpel handles and a mortuary trolley.

The hand-over ceremony was witnessed by several UNHCR and UTH staff.

UNHCR Representative to Zambia, Ms Joyce Mends-Cole, greets one of the longest serving University Teaching Hospital Mortuary Attendants.
UNHCR Representative to Zambia, Ms Joyce Mends-Cole, greets one of the longest serving University Teaching Hospital Mortuary Attendants.

11 COMMENTS

  1. thanks alot to you guys…this is a positive move but we need more space for the mortuary at UTH…not ukulapampikanye ifitumbi…….

  2. Thank you madam for the good gesture. Before going to our final resting places, I want to assure all mortuary workers that we will sleep in your hotels for a day or two.

  3. Thanks for your generous and enlightened remarks. I hope the hazy nature of the photographs is not a response that still feeds the stigma, where staff don’t want to be identified for fear of the silly and ignorant stigma.

  4. Some mortuary attendants are also a problem. They are too quite hence bn feared! In the late 80s, there was one mortuary attendant working by then ZCCM Ronald Ross Hospital. He was very jovial. He had a lot of friends and always talked about his job, and when he asked for beer and didnt buy; he would jokingly tell you that he was going to deal with you when you die and taken to the morgue.

  5. Ipapo lyamoneka. Trolley ku scrap metal, Ama jombo kuli ba Butcher and the masks will find their way to the private hospitals.

  6. What’s that thing is it a mobile BBQ stand? I thought those things were supposed to be stainless steel,why not just donate body bags…

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