Authorities at the Bono Regional Hospital in Sunyani say the morgue in the facility is full as they are unable to take any more bodies.
According to them, this is due to President Nana Akufo-Addo’s ban on all public gatherings including funerals.
President Nana Akufo-Addo while announcing the ban said only private burials would be permitted but should not have more than 25 people in attendance, to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus in the country.
The authorities at the Bono Regional Hospital are lamenting that the families whose time is due are unwilling to come for the bodies for burial and are waiting for the ban to be lifted by the President.
The Medical Director at the Bono Regional Hospital, Dr. Emmanuel Kofi Amponsah is urging families whose time is due to come for the remains of their relatives.
He stated that: “I must say that it is the COVID-19 that has created all these problems. Per the directive of the President, nobody is supposed to organise funerals but he gave an exemption that 15 to 25 people can have a private burial. But Ghanaians have the belief that when the body is there, you can’t have a funeral till you get a larger crowd. So nobody wants to come for the bodies and for that reason, the mortuary is full.”
“So we are pleading with the general public who have their relatives’ bodies here to come and take the bodies and do the burial. The capacity of the fridge was made 30 from the initial stage but based on our own renovations, we are able to adjust it to about 90. People are still dying. Once the person dies, the family should be ready to go for the body and bury because there won’t be space at the morgue for the body,” he added.
Ban on public gatherings
President Nana Akufo-Addo in a national address on Sunday [March 15, 2020] banned all public gatherings including conferences, workshops, funerals, festivals, political rallies, church activities and other related events as part of measures to stop the spread of coronavirus in the country for four weeks.
“I have decided in the interest of public safety and the protection of our population to review the public gathering advisories earlier announced as follows: Firstly, all public gatherings including conferences, workshops, funerals, festivals, political rallies, sporting events and religious activities, such as services in churches and mosques, have been suspended for the next four (4) weeks,” the President said.
Effect of ban on business
Meanwhile, some players in the funeral business say the ban has taken a toll on their activities.
Casket makers have been complaining about how slow business has become.
