THE family of former Chatsworth resident, Subbaya Soobramoney, 71, who died at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, are urged to claim his body by October 10, or he would be buried as a pauper by the Department of Health.
The hospital recently issued a notice stating that if the bodies of Soobramoney and six others who died at the government facility were not claimed within 21 days of the notice, they would receive a paupers' burial.
“Soobramoney, born on February 21, 1952, was a resident of Kotze Street in Hillbrow in Johannesburg. He died in hospital and his family is urgently being sought to recover his body from the mortuary to avoid him receiving a pauper's burial. Soobramoney is believed to be a former resident of Chatsworth,” said Prem Balram, spokesperson for Reaction Unit South Africa.
Reaction Unit South Africa recently did a callout on social media for Soobramoney’s family to contact them.
He is believed to have relatives in the Moorton and Montford areas in Chatsworth.
The six others are: Mamfama Sibusiso (born on July 29, 1994), Flett James (born on February 6, 1954), Simaya Lenox (born on January 1, 1977), Mofokeng Tebogo (born on June 6, 1998), Mphuti Joel (born on June 26, 1977) and Tlotse James (born on January 16, 1958).
Last Wednesday, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, the chairperson of the parliamentary portfolio committee on health, said as of August 2024, a staggering 3 186 bodies remained unclaimed nationwide.
“Many of the bodies were unclaimed not due to a lack of identity documents but because relatives had not come forward to identify or retrieve them,” said Dhlomo.
Anyone with information on the families of the deceased, can call 011 488 3540/6 or email [email protected]