Gauteng residents are being urged to stay calm and stop sharing a viral social media video that falsely claims there is a massive backlog of bodies at the Helen Joseph Hospital mortuary.The Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) stepped in yesterday to reassure the public that the video is old, inaccurate, and misleading.
Spokesperson for the department , Steve Mabona said the hospital’s mortuary is operating normally and has plenty of space to care for the deceased. According to Mabona, the mortuary is nowhere near full, “Helen Joseph Hospital mortuary currently has adequate capacity to accommodate bodies entrusted to its care. As of today, the mortuary has a total storage capacity of 77 bodies, with 25 bodies currently in storage, leaving 52 spaces available,” he said.
Mabona confirmed that community members are collecting their loved ones every day without any issues. “There is therefore no backlog of bodies at the facility as alleged in the circulating video,” said Mabona.The GDoH also addressed concerns about unclaimed bodies, saying there are currently seven pauper cases at the hospital.
Mabona said these cases are being handled respectfully and according to official rules.With misinformation spreading quickly online, the department urged members of the public to exercise caution when sharing old or unverified content on social media, warning that it creates unnecessary anxiety across the community.
