The Mayor of Wau Municipal Council in Western Bahr el Ghazal State announced on Tuesday the burial of seven bodies that had been decomposing at Wau Teaching Hospital mortuary.

These bodies, which had been stored at the mortuary since last year, remained unclaimed as the hospital awaited relatives to come forward. Some individuals passed away during treatment at Wau Hospital, while others were found deceased in markets under unclear circumstances.

Paulino Saed Uku, the mayor of Wau town, explained to Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday that they had laid to rest seven bodies, but two are still pending burial upon completion of medical reports from doctors.

“We have successfully buried seven of the remaining bodies from the old Wau mortuary. However, we discovered that two bodies are awaiting medical reports from doctors. Once we receive the reports, we will proceed with their burial,” stated Mayor Uku.

Uku highlighted the numerous challenges the municipality faces regarding health safety in the town, particularly concerning administrative issues within Wau Hospital. He expressed concerns over delays in completing burial reports for known individuals, stressing the adverse impact on public health and environmental pollution.

“By law, we encounter administrative hurdles at Wau Hospital, especially regarding the timely completion of burial reports for identified individuals,” he stated. “This significantly affects public health and contributes to environmental pollution in the surrounding areas and within the hospital premises.”

Uku urged the hospital administration to assign diligent administrative officers who are committed to their duties and adhere to deadlines. “It’s unacceptable for bodies to remain at the hospital for two to three months without proper reporting to the municipality. We cannot attribute this to lack of funds, considering the municipality’s responsibility and daily tax collection. We must take responsibility for burying such bodies,” he emphasized.

He disclosed that since his appointment three years ago, the municipality has handled the burial of over 1,500 bodies.

When approached for comment, the state Ministry of Health’s Director General and the Health Minister declined to provide a response.