Johannesburg – The City of Ekurhuleni says its environmental health practitioners (EHP) continue to monitor funeral undertakers and mortuary premises amidst the ongoing fight against COVID-19.
EHPs are the first line of defence, through education and inspections, to protect residents against pandemics and ill health.
Member of Mayoral Committee for Health and Social Services, Nomadlozi Nkosi, said the EHPs are working tirelessly to inspect mortuaries and funeral undertaker premises to ensure the processes of preparation, storage and preservation of human remains are conducted in line with the regulations related to the management of human remains.
“The City of Ekurhuleni issues a Certificate of Competence (CoC) in terms of regulations relating to human remains, which guide funeral homes on how to handle human remains. The CoC can only be issued after an inspection is done by an environmental health practitioner and if the premises comply with all regulations,” Nkosi said.
Nkosi said the city’s EHPs monitor all funeral gatherings to ensure compliance with all health protocols under the COVID-19 level 3 regulations.
“The role of the EHP, in relation to compliance by undertakers, is to ensure the management and employees of undertakers receive training to handle COVID-19 mortal remains, in line with directions issued in terms of COVID-19 regulations.
“Healthcare practitioners also visit the families of the deceased to provide education on the necessary health protocols. This is to ensure all COVID-19 health and safety protocols are adhered to during the funeral proceedings,” Nkosi said.
– SAnews.gov.za
Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter and @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa. To Subscribe to Sunday World, click here.
Sunday World
