Reversal on COVID-19 burials

Health Services Director General Dr. Asela Gunawardena has notified of changes to the procedures for disposal of remains in the case of COVID-19 related deaths. In a letter to the Secretary to the Ministry of Justice dated 23 June, now in the public domain, the DG Health Services informs that the decision to change the procedure of releasing remains of those who had died in their homes was made at a COVID-19 Taskforce meeting held on 18 June at the Presidential Secretariat. 

Noting delays caused in releasing deceased COVID-19 victims to their loved ones due to regulations that require PCR testing for those who pass away at home, the letter states that the Task Force had decided that such testing is no longer required. The remains of the deceased may now be released to the next of kin for burial or cremation, within 24 hours.  

This seeming change of heart about the disposal of remains raises many questions. Firstly, by not ascertaining the true cause of death, especially at a time when the third and most devastating wave of the pandemic is raging, policymakers are depriving themselves of vital data that is essential to make informed decisions in the public interest.

Only a few weeks ago President Gotabaya Rajapaksa himself complained that the data he received on COVID mortalities was inaccurate and that he had to use military intelligence to verify the information. Even more concerning is that the Government seems to be applying the Donald Trump Doctrine on testing. The decision to scrap testing of deceased patients suspected of having contracted the disease is the starkest evidence of this policy. 

The Government genuinely feels that more testing will result in a higher number of infected cases being reported and therefore, is succumbing to the temptation to reduce testing to show “better results”. 

Therefore, daily PCR testing rates have dropped sharply in the past six weeks, while test positivity rates continue to rise. State Minister Sudarshini Fernandopulle herself has warned that Sri Lanka’s healthcare facilities would face disaster in 10 weeks if the public fails to adhere to public health guidelines to stop the spread of the deadly Delta variant.

Denial is not a strategy for governance. The unscientific approach is akin to the Government burying its head in the sand, giving the people a false sense of security for now that could lead to crisis in the future. Identifying the real number of COVID-19 cases will help health authorities to take necessary action. 

If a person who died at home is confirmed to have had the virus, it is imperative to immediately test, quarantine and treat those in that household and their close contacts to minimise the spread. With the Government’s new policy, these household members, in their ignorance about cause of death, could be potential super-spreaders of the disease.

Another pertinent question raised due to this recent change in policy is the bona fides of the Government’s previous position when it insisted that the burial of COVID-19 victims would have dire environmental and health consequences. Less than four months ago, Sri Lanka was the only country in the world to mandate cremations for COVID-19 related deaths. 

The Government maintained that its decisions were based on ‘science’ advised by a special committee attached to the Ministry of Health. This ‘special committee’ claimed groundwater contamination due to burials was a risk factor, and COVID-19, a respiratory disease, could be spread through the soil.

Marking a low point in his short administration, President Rajapaksa even made an official request from the Government of Maldives, proposing the transport of dead Muslim citizens to the archipelago for burial, as the furore over forced cremations escalated.  After severe local and international criticism, the Government changed course in March 2021 allowing burials, albeit in designated locations ‘where the soil was appropriate’. 

To this day, Muslims all over the country must travel to the Eastern Province to bury their loved ones according to their religious tradition if the person died from COVID-19. Now, the Health Ministry notification to the districts, says patients who die at home can be buried even in their own backyards, the PHI Unions say.

The latest policy change, ironically made on humanitarian grounds to expeditiously release the remains of deceased individuals to their loved ones exposes the blatant racism that drove the Government’s forced cremations policy. Such an ad hoc, unscientific, and racially motivated policymaking in the wake of a once in a generation pandemic will only exacerbate the suffering of the people and prolong the current crisis.