The bodies of COVID-19 victims would now be tagged at the state operated morgues following a recent incident on the Essequibo Coast that saw one body being mistakenly buried by another family.
The late Renold James was buried in the place of 76 year old Bibi Sazeedah Jalleal as James family found out on June 10th.
Regional Health Officer, Dr. Ranjeev Singh explained that both persons died due to COVID related complications. Because of this, their bodies were concealed, and therefore could not have easily been identified.
“Our internal investigations also revealed that that the bodies weren’t labelled,” Dr Singh said, “The bodies were wrapped and the advice that we gave was for persons not to open (these bodies), because of that they did not open it, and so they were unable to identify the bodies, and there was where the mix up, happened.”
When asked what measures will be put in place to avoid this from occurring again, the RHO said that bodies in the morgue, will be labelled with tags.
Meanwhile, James body was not exhumed, instead a prayer was said over the grave in which James was laid. According to reports reaching the Big Smith News Watch, the body could not have been exhumed, due to COVID-19. The man’s brothers, reportedly agreed to leave the body where it had been buried.
While Jame’s brothers consented to leaving the body in the grave, other family members are still unable to cope with the distressing situation. The man’s wife and aunts, all argued that the body should’ve been exhumed, and buried rightfully by his family.
The family also refuted claims that James was positive for COVID-19. The man’s reputed wife, Shelly Henry, said during a recent interview with this publication, “Renold was in the interior, when he come out back he didn’t feel good, so he end up he take a covid-19 test at Charity Hospital, one week before he died, and the result was negative. It turn out that he d’ get malaria.”
An aunt of the now dead man added, saying, “if was COVID-19 he had, why they call we the day to prepare to body for funeral, just like a regular dead.”