Many were horrified and outraged by a video doing the rounds showing the callous manner in which officials handled the body of Siaya coronavirus victim James Oyugi.
The burial was inexplicably conducted in the dark of the night with wailing relatives looking on in anguish as officials literally manhandled the body. Without even a coffin, it was dragged out of an open pick-up and roughly dumped into a shallow grave.
There was absolutely no justification for such heartless and disrespectful behaviour.
It is true that Covid-19 is a serious pandemic that has caused havoc around the world, and extraordinary steps must be taken to prevent further infections.
The Ministry of Health has issued guidelines for the prompt and safe disposal of bodies. It, however, becomes immediately apparent that the guidelines were largely flouted in the Siaya case.
Oyugi died on the evening of Friday April 10, which indicates adequate time to accord him a decent send-off within the stipulated period of 48 hours.
Instead, he was buried hurriedly at the ungodly hour of 2.45am on Sunday.
The family did not even have time to get a coffin. The pick-up in which the body was brought to the graveside did not have a stretcher, flat board or other implement to allow for halfway decent handling of the body. It was left to two officials to literally wrestle Oyugi’s remains out of the vehicle and into the grave in a most undignified way.
That was totally unacceptable, and is bound to leave family members scarred and traumatised.
For government officials it may have been just the necessary disposal of a corpse carrying a dangerous disease; but a heartless officialdom must remember that Oyugi was a beloved son, husband and father. He wasn’t just a statistic.
In any case, there must be an explanation why his burial was managed in such a brutal manner, while other families that lost loved ones to coronavirus were accorded the time and space to conduct dignified farewells.
Oyugi’s body was handled in a most abusive fashion and in utter disregard of the Ministry of Health procedures.
A quick reading of the guidelines shows that the family must be fully involved in a dignified burial ceremony, and properly informed on the measures necessary towards safe disposal of the body.
Their customary and religious observances must be honoured, and the ceremony should be conducted in accordance with respect for the dead.
The rules state that the family must give formal agreement for the burial, which otherwise cannot commence.
Apart from those handling the body and those disinfecting the area, the rules also mandate that there must be at least one official to liaise with and brief the family on all the procedures and secure concurrence on final rites.
In fact, the guidelines provide that the burial team, on arrival, should respectfully greet the family and offer condolences, and ensure that they have understood the procedures. They should also respect the grieving period requested by the family.
The rules specifically state that the body should be put in a coffin if that is the local preference or culture.
The government owes Mr Oyugi’s family a big apology. It should also recognise that behaviour such as that exhibited in Siaya is a big reversal in the fight against the pandemic.
It adds to the stigma around coronavirus, and will also incite defiance against the national effort to arrest the spread of infections.
Victims who fear mistreatment might prefer to go underground, rather than report for quarantine and treatment.
Still, on the issue of coronavirus, we have made a great deal of noise about ramped up local production of face masks. The fact is that they’re still not widely available, being traded under the table by those with ‘connections’. A packet of 50 disposable surgical masks that pre-corona used to retail for Sh300, is now going for anything between Sh3,000 and Sh7,000!
Even in a capitalist system, the government must move with speed to tame the price-gaugers out to reap from the misery of others.
It can do this by ensuring availability of mask at recommended retail prices in every kiosk.
Masks and hand sanitisers in the age of coronavirus must now be treated as essential survival kits, with the government taking direct responsibility for ensuring unhindered access for all.
It can also move to cut out the politicians who are busy seeking political mileage out of tragedy by branding relief goods with their ugly mugs.
