More than 1,000 unidentified bodies lying in Gauteng mortuaries State mortuaries had 1,173 unidentified bodies last year, and a further 120 bodies that were unclaimed and buried as paupers: Gauteng health department 15 March 2021 - 15:34 Cases of “serious adverse events” in Gauteng public hospitals rose from 4,170 in 2019 to 4,701, Gauteng health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi said on Monday. File photo. Image: Veli Nhlapo Close to 1,200 unidentified bodies lay in Gauteng's state mortuaries last year, with more than 100 identified bodies having been buried as paupers because they had not been claimed. Also, cases of “serious adverse events” (SAEs) in Gauteng public hospitals had risen from 4,170 in 2019 to 4,701. SAEs are events arising from the health-care environment and which may affect the medical outcome on a patient by either lengthening their stay in hospital or further complicating their condition.