Guidelines Issued to Funeral Establishments

The Government has supplied booklets to operators of funeral establishments and mortuaries, even as it cautions members of the public to cease spreading misinformation on Ebola.

The booklets are guidelines for the operation of funeral establishments, and are geared at preventing the transmission of infectious diseases. Developed through consultations with stakeholders in the industry, the guidelines seek to formalize operational procedures, based on established standards and universal precautions for managing mortuary operations in hospitals and private establishments and mortuaries.

“We want to ensure that the accepted standards are being utilized to prevent any kind of transmission of infections, and the purpose of the guidelines is to ensure that all operators are aware of the protocols as well as the advice that should be given to family members and others involved in burials, to reduce their exposure to infectious diseases,” said Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, at the handover at his downtown Kingston offices on October 21.

“Be very careful about the information that (persons put) out, and the rumours that are continuously being spread about Ebola in Jamaica. It is not good for the response efforts, and we cannot afford for the important information to be lost in the noise created by unsubstantiated rumours,” he added.

Dr. Ferguson said the Ministry is committed to providing timely information on Ebola, as the threat of the disease is taken seriously by the Government.

“These guidelines are also a part of the holistic systems that we are putting in place to respond to any threat of Ebola. I urge you to take this matter very seriously, follow the requirements, and ensure that you and your staff are fully protected,” he urged.

He informed that Cabinet has approved the drafting of legislation to govern the operation of funeral establishments, and urged stakeholders to actively participate in upcoming public consultations.