It is totally wrong to allow unprotected persons to burry Covid-19 deceased-Health Promotion officer

The Bono East Regional Health Promotions officer, Mr. Robin Appiah says it is against the public health order to allow persons who are not in protective apparel to bury the dead body of a Covid-19 positive patient.

According to him, the act can trigger a surge in the spread of the virus.

Mr. Robin Appiah was reacting to a case that happened at Odumasi in the Sunyani West District of the Bono Region where family members of a deceased Covid-19 patient were asked to help the burial team from the Sunyani West Municipal Environmental department in the process.

The family of a female patient who lost her life to Covid-19 says they were made to assist the Covid-19 burial team at the cemetery during the burial without any protective apparel.

This was disclosed by Collins Diawuo, a brother of the deceased, in an interview with the media on Monday.

He said the burial team had challenges conveying the mortal remains of their relative to the grave so asked the bereaved family to assist them without providing them with any protective gear.

The burial team had only five members and lacked the expertise to lower the casket into the grave so sought the support of the deceased family.

Mr. Diawuo expressed concern that there has not been any contact tracing after the burial and this was a major worry and created fear among the family members as their deceased relative, according to the doctors, tested positive for covid-19. 

Reacting to this, the Bono East Health Promotions officer condemn the act on the side of the environmental officer but was quick to add that, if indeed the claim by the family was true then the leadership of the Environmental Health Department of the Sunyani West District must investigate and sanction the necessary punishment on the culprits.