The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Ministry of Health has said that burial teams are not necessary when burying people who have succumbed to COVID-19.
According to the health ministry officials, family members do not need to pay for burial teams because the bodies of the deceased are disinfected and placed in body bags, which is supposed to reduce any possibility of infections.
Addressing the nation on the Covid-19 status in the country on Friday, the Minister of Health, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng says that there’s no need to pay for burial teams. She says the population should not spend money on teams if they do not have it.
According to Aceng, once a patient succumbs to covid-19, the bodies are disinfected in the presence of family members at hospital mortuaries before being placed in a body bag and sealed. After this, the body is supposed to be handed over to the families of the deceased and are at liberty to carry out the burial on their own.
Aceng however said that families that wish to use funeral services are at liberty to do so.
Burial teams have recently come under the spotlight for reportedly been charging between 700,000 Shillings and 10 Million from relatives of those who succumb to COVID-19 to cover costs of disinfecting the body and facilitate burial ceremonies.
Last year, the Ministry of Health revisited covid-19 burial protocols and allowed families to bury their loved ones that succumb to COVID-19. The government had initially taken up the burial arrangements, to guarantee safe and dignified burials, commonly used when dealing with highly infectious diseases.
Guidelines earlier issued by the health ministry stated that the burial of persons who succumb to the disease was supposed to be carried out by trained health workers and the number of people who access the graveyard had to be limited. In addition to this, the body also had to be prepared by health workers who would then hand it over to burial teams who would transport the body for burial.
However, scientists said that the remains of persons who succumb to the disease are not infectious.
According to data from the health ministry, 1,111 people have succumbed to the disease.
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