Media Secretary of the Sri Lanka Coroners’ Association, Mohamed Fazeer yesterday cautioned that bodies of COVID infected dead could pile up in hospitals due a circular issued by the Health Ministry making it mandatory to refer the bodies of COVID-19 infected persons dying at home to a forensic pathologist for a post -mortem examination.
Speaking at a media briefing in Hatton yesterday he said that as forensic doctors are not available in all hospitals, in some cases a body has to be transported more than 60 km and as a result many problems have arisen including delays and heavy cost.
Fazeer said that it would take several days for the post-mortem examination of a COVID-19 infected person who died at home to happen and to be cremated at the behest of his relatives and that the delay was due to the circular issued by Health Ministry on June 19.
He also said that his Association has informed the Health Ministry to look into the possibility of amending the Circular in question.
The Media Secretary said that there is no problem in conducting a post mortem if a COVID-19 infected person who dies in a hospital but added that the assistance received from the Justice Ministry in this regard was better than the assistance received from the Health Ministry.
Fazeer also said that there are very few hospitals in the country with facilities similar to the Colombo National Hospital and requested the Health Ministry authorities to first look into the facilities available at major hospitals before issuing circulars.
He said that although there should be around 600 coroners, there are only 300 coroners on duty in the country at present and as a result coroners in some areas have to work 24 hours a day.
source http://www.dailynews.lk/2021/08/16/local/256744/coroners-quandary-rising-covid-deaths
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