Ebun Francis| The Lagos State government on Sunday explained that there is no policy prohibiting the release of dead coronavirus (COVID-19) patients to their families.
Akin Abayomi, the state commissionner for health made the disclosure while answering a question at a briefing on controversy surrounding the release of the body of the late chief of staff to President Buhari, Abba Kyari, for burial.
According to him, the only restriction is on the number of people who can attend the burial which must not exceed 25, including the religious members of the ceremony and the grave-diggers.
He further explained that government would allow family members of dead COVID-19 patients to conduct a private burial for their loved ones after carrying out a proper protocol for decontaminating the body and ensuring that it was sealed in body bags and further sealed in a coffin.
He said, “There is no policy against the release of the diseased with COVID-19 in terms of release for burial. If you demise from any condition, there is a protocol to manage any scenario.”
“The protocol for managing death from COVID-19 is that the body is decontaminated, and now placed in a special body bag.
“We put them in two body bags and then place within a coffin, then the coffin is sealed. The family is then given the opportunity to collect the body and be taken for burial.”
“So, there is no current policy that bars us from handing over the deceased to their family members.
“It just has to be done in a way that does not expose family members or does not break the current law around the number of people to be aggregated in one place,” Professor Abayomi insisted.
Abayomi also used the briefing to reveal the local governments that has recorded the highest cases of COVID-19.
According to him, Lagos Mainland Local Government Area (LGA) was worst-hit, followed by Eti-Osa and Ikeja LGAs.
On the other hand, Ajeromi, Epe and Ojo LGAs have yet to record any case of coronavirus as of April 18. 2020.
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