Government abolishes night burials for Covid-19 patients

Gov't changes tune on night burials for Covid-19 patients

Mumbi Mutuko

June 15, 2020 8:13 AM

New protocols for burial of Covid-19 victims

Ministry of Health Director General Patrick Amoth

The government has changed tune and abolished night burials of people who succumb to Covid-19.

Health Director-General Dr Patrick Amoth said that new protocols on how to bury Covid-19 victims will be sent to counties.

He explained that if a body had been preserved well, there was no need of burying it hurriedly, and especially at night which was witnessed in some counties in Kenya.

Ministry of Health Director General Patrick Amoth Pulse Live Kenya

“If you look at the transmission of Covid-19 against other infections, there is very little likelihood that one stands a chance of getting infected from a body if treated well,” Dr Amoth said.

Night burials outlawed

Ministry of Health guidelines issued in April dictated that the body of a person who succumbs to Covid-19 should be buried within 48 hours.

However, some victims of Covid-19 have been buried in the night by health officials with family members being excluded from the funerals.

Health Director General Patrick Amoth Pulse Live Kenya

“If a culture dictates that we don’t bury at night, please hold on for another 12 hours so that the burial is held the following day,” the Health DG said.

“We are going to send an alert to the counties, to remind them of this protocol so that we have a dignified burial of those who succumb to COVID-19,” he added.