(Eagle News)–Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte has issued localized guidelines on the handling of deaths related to the coronavirus disease 2019.
Belmonte issued the guidelines on April 11, after noting what she said was some national-run hospitals’ passing of the responsibility of processing the burial or cremation of cadavers to the local government, whether resident or not.
According to the guidelines, the 12-hour period for cremation of the cadaver as provided under DOH Guidelines 2020-0067 should be followed in order to curb the spread of the virus.
Government hospitals should also designate a point person who will coordinate with the local government to ensure that reports and referrals are coursed through the proper channel.
“The designated point person shall be responsible in reporting to the city government all unclaimed COVID-19 related deaths within a reasonable period of time,” the guidelines said.
The point person is also tasked to provide all vital information and process the requirements for the unclaimed cadavers prior to the cremation or burial by the city government.
Under the guidelines, after receiving the report from the hospital point person, the City Social Welfare and Development Department will determine if the deceased will be referred to the Baesa Crematorium if indigent or to funeral service providers accredited by the city.
If the deceased was not a resident of Quezon City, the point person will coordinate with the family of the deceased for the cremation.
If there is no relative, the guidelines said the point person shall coordinate with the local government the residence of the deceased to facilitate the processing of the cremation or burial.
The mayor also asked government hospitals to ensure that the cadaver is properly stored in a morgue with freezer while awaiting the schedule of cremation or retrieval to “halt untimely decomposition and control the spread of the virus, although the city would aid the hospital to provide this service if needed.”
Quezon City is home to 14 national government hospitals.
Some of them were designated by the Department of Health as referral hospitals for COVID-19 cases.
