A nurse was arrested for disappearing from an eight-month-old baby C0RPSE from Mortuary of Chitungwiza Central Hospital. The incident sparked strong public outcry and prompted police to investigate potential violations surrounding the handling of human remains.
The arrested individual, Munashe Ganyiwa, 32, is a nursing staff member at the hospital and has been caring for infant Emmanuel Charindapanze, who was admitted to the pediatric ward on Saturday. Emanuel reportedly experienced sudden medical complications in the early hours of Sunday morning. His mother, Shamiso Nyaus, 46, raised an alarm, prompting nurse Ganyiwa to respond and then declared the child dead.
The hospital’s plan was reportedly followed when Ganyiwa took off her baby’s clothes and returned it to her mother. Another staff member’s task was to transport the B0DY to the morgue in the hospital.
However, when parents returned Monday to retrieve the B0dy burial, morgue staff were unable to find Emmanuel’s body. Despite searching for all pediatric remains in the facility, the infant’s C0RPSE is missing. When contacted, nurse Ganyiwa reportedly speculated that B0dy might have been mistaken for cremation, a statement further exacerbating the distress of the sad family.
The arrest was confirmed by the Harare Provincial Police Department spokesman Luckmore Chakanza, noting: “We have detained a health care worker in Chitungwiza for potential violations related to human remains. The investigation began after parents were unable to find the child’s B0dy, and despite proper hospital management, the child’s B0DY was still not able to be found.”
Authorities are continuing to investigate the disappearance surrounding the situation as the medical community and family members seek answers in this disturbing case.
