One of Port Elizabeth's biggest funeral parlour services says the phone is constantly ringing as hospitals and families look for safe spaces to store the bodies of Covid-19 patients.
Vantyi said he's also been approached by some private hospitals, such as Netcare Greenacres Hospital in the city, about his storage capacity, "because there are just so many deaths," he told News24.
Netcare Greenacres Hospital's hospital area general manager André Bothma, told News24 that they recently contacted all the funeral parlours in Port Elizabeth to find out what their capacity was as part of planning for the management of an increase in Covid-19 patients and related deaths.
"Our hospital did not have a mortuary, as we arrange with one of a number of private funeral parlours to collect deceased patients from our hospitals, in consultation with their families and based on their preference of funeral parlour.
"We have, as a precautionary measure, acquired a free-standing mortuary facility at Netcare Greenacres Hospital earlier this week, in case funeral parlours find themselves in a position where they cannot immediately accommodate deceased patients."
