Towards more efficient post-mortem services
Dear Editor,
The House of Tranquillity Funeral Home Limited is contracted to the Ministry of National Security to provide funeral home morgue services in our modern, controlled, state-of-the-art post-mortem facility.
In addition to our forensic post-mortem facility, we offer medical post-mortem services and X-ray services in cases in which the state has no interest in deaths that are deemed or classified as medical deaths, however if the pathologists observes or determines that the death was due to cause(s) other than natural causes, the body may be turned over to the Department of Forensic Science (Legal Medicine Unit) for a forensic post-mortem examination to be done as someone could be charged with a crime based on the findings of the forensic pathologist.
The medical post-mortem must be done in a controlled mortuary facility in order to prevent the spread of a contagious disease. The Ministry of Health must ensure that the private morgue facility is approved by them, by carrying out due diligence inspections to confirm that the national standard is maintained.
What obtains presently is that if the Institute of Science and Pathology, based on the police report, indicates that no foul play is suspected, the bereaved families are informed to do a medical post-mortem (private post-mortem) in order to obtain a medical certificate showing the cause(s) of death and authorising burial.
This service will enable the bereaved families to finalise funeral/burial services on a timely basis. I would like to suggest that the investigating officers complete their investigations on a timely basis to expedite the process, as sometimes, for myriad reasons, it is drawn out. Among the reasons offered could include investigating officers on sick, vacation or departmental leave, or may be required to attend the Coroner’s Court. I am aware that severe challenges are faced by the investigating officers; however, no task is insurmountable.
Let us all work together to make the system work more efficiently.
Joseph M Cornwall Sr, JP
Managing director/CEO
tranquillityfh@yahoo.com
