Body Donor Procedure

• Bequests are made to the school for the furtherance of medical research and teaching for medical and therapeutic sciences’ students.
• Upon enquiry a letter of information will be faxed, e-mailed or posted together with a registration form which must be filled in and returned to the school.
• The school will acknowledge receipt of the registration form by issuing the requestor a letter of acknowledgement with a reference number. The reference number must be quoted in all communications with the school.
• Only in-tact bodies are accepted and subject to the dreaded diseases clause.
• There is no age restriction for being a body donor.
• The school collects bequeathed bodies within a radius of about 300kms and acceptance of a donated body is subject to inspection by the school’s representative at the time of death.
• In the case of accepted body donors, all costs are borne by the school. Communication takes place with beneficiaries regarding the collection of a donated body from the designated undertakers and the issuing of death certificates.
• The school works on a 2 to 3 year turnaround before a donated body is cremated (at the school’s expense). The family or beneficiary is contacted when the ashes are ready to be collected. (Ashes are only returned if such a request was made on the registration form).
• The school also accepts bequests that have not been formally arranged, in which case an affidavit will need to be signed by the next of kin.
• It should be noted that delays in accepting a donor may be alleviated with early registration.

Enquiries:

Ms Faith Sambo
Tel:  (011) 717 2441
Email: Faith.Sambo@wits.ac.za

Mr. Phillip Legodi
Tel: (011) 717 2309
Email: Phillip.Legodi@wits.ac.za