Cape Town - The waiting period for Muslim autopsies has been reduced from six days to two days, the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) announced.
This after the council engaged in a meeting with Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo over the mortuary backlog which delayed post-mortems, thus not meeting the pre-agreed customary 24-hour burial procedure in Islam.
The MJC said: “Statistics presented by the Department of Health indicate that after one month there was a reduction in the timeline for the release of Muslim bodies from six days to three days and then to 48 hours. The department further stated the delay arose from the late identification of bodies.”
Picture: Willem Law/ANA Pictures
To fast-track the identification process of the deceased, the MJC has committed itself to using social media and radio to help share information of the deceased in order to find the families.
The MJC said the department had agreed mortuary staff would not be taking leave over the December period.
Shaykh Riad Fataar, chairperson of the Cemetery Board, said: “While we are happy the department is willing to assist in this process, we continue to emphasise that Muslim bodies must be returned to the families within the agreed 24 hours."
Mbombo said: “The department welcomes the spirit of the engagement with MJC and encourages other parties to engage with us directly. Community members can assist the speedy release of bodies by quick response to the calls for identification.