IT is more difficult for families to say their final goodbyes to loved ones when the dead are those who have succumbed to Covid-19, said funeral service providers.

They told The Malaysian Insight that strict standard operating procedure (SOP) meant family members and friends were not allowed to attend the final rites for Covid-19 victims, with only one close family member allowed during the final ceremonies.

It is tough for funeral directors, too, as they are forced to work under immense pressure, while ensuring their own safety is not compromised.

One significant assistance the undertakers provide is to allow families to complete the rites and say their goodbyes through video calls made on mobile phones. Family members would then share the video with others.

“From the time of the Covid-19 test until (a patient enters the) intensive care unit (ICU) admission, family members may not see the deceased at all for five days to one week,” said Ten & Ten Funeral Services’ owner Ng Lie Cheng.

“If the family members are elderly and don’t know how to navigate video calls, they can only wait for doctors and nurses to be free to help them make the call.

“The same goes for preparation for burial or cremation,” he added.

He said when the pandemic first began in Malaysia last year, the SOP for handling the remains of a Covid-19 victim was unclear, causing many families to be unhappy.

“They could not accept that the remains of their loved ones could not be cleaned up, (have) makeup (put on) and shrouded so that the deceased can complete the last leg of their lives.

“Some families insisted that they take the remains home for funeral prayers.”

According to the SOP set by the Health Ministry, bodies of Covid-19 victims cannot undergo cleansing, makeup and dressing to in reduce the risk of exposure to the virus.

Funeral service operators said the remains are required to be wrapped in three layers for protection, and sealed quickly after the corpses are identified.

Ng’s first handling of a Covid-19 burial was on April 18 last year.

She said that her own family members were against her taking up the task as they were worried about the risks that she would face.

“I told myself that, as a funeral parlour operator, I cannot choose the circumstances under which the deceased passed away.

“After the family entrusts the deceased to us, we are obligated to do a good job.

“If we don’t deal with it, then who will deal with it? It’s like if the healthcare front liners are afraid of the risks and do not save the people, then who will save the patients?”

Ng said that one of the limitations last year was the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), which was prioritised for frontline personnel.

“In cases where patients were discharged from hospital and suddenly died at home after more than 20 days, we were all worried that the virus still existed in the body.

“So, was it necessary to wear PPE when handling the remains? There were no clear guidelines for these.”

The 48-year-old said she has been in the funeral services industry for 15 years.

She said one of her most important duties was in February this year, when she had to transport the body of an elderly person who died from Covid-19 back to Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

“I asked if anyone in Bukit Mertajam would be willing to help with the burial but they refused. Perhaps there were only a few cases at that time and the task was unfamiliar to them.

“After having breakfast in the morning with seven other team members, we put on our PPE in the hospital (and wore it) all the way to Bukit Mertajam to complete the burial, which ended at 6pm.”

She had prepared adult diapers for the team in advance, considering how inconvenient it was to remove the PPE for toilet breaks.

“At first, the employees were resistant, but the car was carrying the body and we could not stop for the toilet at any time, so we wore it (in case there was an) emergency.

“All of us did not dare to drink water or eat anything along the way,” Ng said.

Less manpower, tight deadlines

Funeral service operators also said they were working overtime from the recent sharp increase in Covid-19 deaths in the country.

Nirvana Care’s sales and service general manager, Teh Khai Lin said employees have been working 10 to 12 hours a day since mid-April.

“The funeral industry is exhausted physically and mentally from receiving a huge number of cases and having less rest time.”

Teh said that employees who were on leave had to return to work.

On average, the service receives three to five Covid-19 cases daily, and such cases require more manpower and time than others.

“Generally, we only need one hour, but it takes at least three hours to disinfect and cremate a Covid-19 deceased,” Teh said.

He added that employees were also worried about getting infected or bringing the virus home.

“The epidemic is no longer under control. The number of deaths has been rising and the workload is increasing, but our manpower remains the same. The employees will definitely not be able to support it.”

It was also difficult to hire people for the industry, Teh said.

“Foreign workers are reluctant to sign on and we have to rely on existing personnel to handle it.”

Pertubuhan Istiadat Pengebumian Orang Ramai Malaysia president Kong Thian Hau said there was a tight deadline for dealing with a Covid-19 corpse.

He said the cases must be dealt with instantly and the entire process, from identification in the hospital to the cremation or burial must be resolved within a few hours.

“The whole process has at least seven layers of disinfection. The PPE worn by the funeral and burial staff are used only once.

“The industry must prepare at their own expense and these involve huge costs and high risks.”

He said he understood that some members of the association don’t undertake Covid-19 funerals due to concerns over staff safety and the risks involved.

“When they receive a case, it will be handed over to industry operators who are willing to handle them.”

Malaysia’s Covid-19 death toll stands at 2,432 as of yesterday. – May 27, 2021.