Operations at the Thyolo District Hospital mortuary have been grounded for the past two weeks, forcing police to bury three bodies due to lack of storage space.

Some medical personnel told Zodiak that the mortuary’s cooling system broke down two weeks ago, leaving bodies to decompose and creating an unbearable situation within the facility.

Confirming the development, Thyolo District Director of Health and Social Services, Dr. Mirriam Jere, said the problem arose after the mortuary cooling system ran out of gas.

“The challenge came because the cooling system had run out of gas. However, procurement is already underway, and we expect to have the gas delivered this week to restore normal operations,” said Dr. Jere.

The development has sparked concern among health rights advocates, who have questioned why such a crucial facility was left to malfunction.

Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN) Executive Director, George Jobe, described the situation as “deeply concerning,” saying authorities must ensure such incidents are not repeated.

“This situation begs more questions than answers. We need to understand what really caused the gas shortage so that it doesn’t happen again. Was it that the supplier had run out of gas, or lack of funding to procure the gas. And if it is because someone had not reported the impending gas issue, they need to undergo capacity building,” said Jobe.

He said “It’s also a burden on bereaved families, who are forced to repatriate the remains of their loved ones quickly under stressful conditions,” he added.

Meanwhile, some residents in Thyolo have expressed concern, calling on government to act swiftly to restore full mortuary services at the hospital.