[ad_1]
- The Health Department has responded to the upcoming funeral doctors strike.
- He has stood firm, saying that certification – something many funeral home doctors don’t have – will be a necessity.
- The striking funeral associations say they have fallen by the wayside, while a few control this process.
The Health Department warned that the upcoming funeral strike could have serious repercussions for public health.
“This is very concerning as this action may lead to unwanted conditions and risks to public health,” the department said in a statement issued by spokesman Popo Maja on Sunday.
The call for the closure was spearheaded by the Unification Task Force (UTT), a grouping of 17 funeral associations and forums, and was scheduled to begin on Monday, September 14, through Wednesday, September 16.
During the planned shutdown, no bodies would be removed from hospitals or homes and there would be no burials, UTT national coordinator Peter Matlatle told News24 on Sunday.
UTT said the South African government had not done enough to ensure that the industry was diverse and transformed. He said that since 1994, the industry was still dominated by “white minority capital” and a handful of “black elites.”
The department, meanwhile, said it held several meetings, including two virtual in August and one physical in early September.
“These meetings were the result of an open letter from the National Association of Funeral Practitioners of South Africa. This is the only association that wrote to the department.”
The department held that all funeral and funeral establishments used in connection with the preparation, storage and preservation of human remains “must be in possession of a valid certificate of competence issued by the relevant local authority.”
“Environmental health professionals are and will continue to conduct inspections at all funeral home facilities in the country to verify compliance with regulations. Legal action will be taken against facility owners found in violation,” Maja said.
READ | No charges for breach of lockdown regulations at Andrew Mlangeni’s funeral – Cele
Maja added that family members were “urged to verify the legitimacy of funeral homes and agents used for the general handling of the burial of their loved ones to ensure proper tracking and tracing and that the handling of remains is done. with dignity and within the law “. “.
“Environmental health professionals in district and / or metropolitan municipalities can be contacted for help on any issue related to human remains management and for advice to ensure compliance with regulations.”
Maja asked the public to report on the illegal operations.
“[This is] ensure that the public can be protected from the potential risks and spread of communicable diseases as a result of the mismanagement of human remains. We will not allow non-compliance with legislation in this sensitive area. The Department of Health is willing to continue discussions with the funeral home sector to reach an amicable solution. “
