{"id":51372,"date":"2023-07-13T21:33:02","date_gmt":"2023-07-13T21:33:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/gauteng-launches-digital-fingerprint-system-to-fast-track-identification-of-unclaimed-bodies"},"modified":"2023-07-13T23:02:49","modified_gmt":"2023-07-13T23:02:49","slug":"gauteng-launches-digital-fingerprint-system-to-fast-track-identification-of-unclaimed-bodies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/gauteng-launches-digital-fingerprint-system-to-fast-track-identification-of-unclaimed-bodies","title":{"rendered":"Gauteng launches digital fingerprint system to fast track identification of unclaimed bodies"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – South-Africa. <\/strong><\/span>The trauma of families going from one government mortuary to another, looking for missing loved ones, will be a thing of the past in Gauteng after the provincial health department introduced a new digital fingerprint system.<\/p>\n

The fingerprint system will address the challenges of unclaimed and unidentified bodies.<\/p>\n

In partnership with the Centre for Public Service Innovation and Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, the system was launched at Germiston Police Station on Thursday.<\/p>\n

It uses biometrics technology and has access to databases from the Department of Home Affairs, police, and national credit bureaus database to help identify bodies.<\/p>\n

Early this year, Gauteng Health and Wellness MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko raised concerns about the growing number of unclaimed bodies at the province’s Forensic Pathology Service (FPS).<\/p>\n

In February, there were at least 938 unidentified bodies in Gauteng’s mortuaries and according to the department, this was reduced to 691.<\/p>\n

Last month, Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla said nearly 20 forensic pathology mortuaries around the country were experiencing space limitations due to the number of unclaimed bodies.<\/p>\n

He added seven mortuaries in Gauteng had space problems.<\/p>\n

Bronkhorstspruit FPS manager Willie Fouche demonstrated how the new digital fingerprint system worked on a dead body.<\/p>\n

The fingertips of the corpse were placed on a biometric scanner. Within two minutes, the deceased’s details showed up on a laptop. It showed the man’s face, his last known address and contact details.<\/p>\n

The acting CEO of Gauteng FSP, Thembalethu Mpahlaza, said: “We are also looking ahead in terms of digitalising our documents.<\/p>\n

“The digital fingerprint system project aims to solve the challenge of unidentified deceased bodies and long waiting times leading to the state conducting pauper burials.<\/p>\n

“Some bodies are really decomposed, which is difficult to get quality fingerprints from the deceased. The new system will improve the quality of fingerprints of the deceased.”<\/p>\n

Mpahlaza added they also had a problem with families burying the wrong bodies because of incorrect information.<\/p>\n

Speaking at the launch, Nkomo-Ralehoko said the digital fingerprint system’s introduction stood as a transformative milestone in forensic pathology.<\/p>\n

Nkomo-Ralehoko said forensic pathology officers would receive specialised training to use the biometric scanners.<\/p>\n

“The training will enable them to effectively capture and analyse fingerprints, thereby expediting the identification process and improving overall efficiency.<\/p>\n

“Clinical staff, including medical officers, pathologists, and general support staff, will also receive training to familiarise themselves with the system and its associated processes,” she added.<\/p>\n

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said from 1 August, people would be able to check for their loved ones who have died through an online system.<\/p>\n

“One can punch in their ID number instead of travelling for a long distance and going from one mortuary to another.<\/p>\n

“Every area that receives a dead body should go through the finger registration process,” he added.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About South-Africa<\/a> Follow Africa-Press<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – South-Africa. The trauma of families going from one government mortuary to another, looking for missing loved ones, will be a thing of the past in Gauteng after the provincial health department introduced a new digital fingerprint system. The fingerprint system will address the challenges of unclaimed and unidentified bodies. In partnership with the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":51370,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,12],"tags":[274,315,309,5317,227,5318,275],"class_list":["post-51372","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy","tag-africa-press","tag-africa-press-south-africa","tag-gauteng","tag-gauteng-health-department","tag-health","tag-nomantu-nomo-ralehoko","tag-south-africa-2"],"yoast_head":"\nGauteng launches digital fingerprint system to fast track identification of unclaimed bodies - South Africa<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The trauma of families going from one government mortuary to another, looking for missing loved ones, will be a thing of ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link 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