Ministry of Health and Medical Services are calling on members of the public who have deceased loved ones at the Suva Mortuary to make quick funeral arrangements.

The request has been made after an increase of COVID-19 deaths in the greater Suva area, resulting in the Suva morgue being full.

As of July 4, there have been  30 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 28 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year.

Minister for Health Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete is encouraging families of non-COVID deaths to organise their loved ones to be buried.

Dr Waqainabete said they were testing everybody and if anyone had passed away due to COVID-19 they would have to tests all primary contacts/ family, who would later need to go into 14-days isolation.

“You can imagine those that passed away in the community and those that passed away at the CWM Hospital.

“When they become positive (COVID-19) it will affect the family’s ability to come and take their loved one’s home as quickly as possible and this is one of the reasons the morgue is full.”

Dr Waqainabete said they were looking at other options as a backup plan.

“The mortuary services are outsourcing in CWM the main hospital but again because of some challenges, the families have especially when they want their loved ones buried outside the containment area and they must organise the families from the other side and taking the body across the border,” he said.

“Many families will take their families home within a week but once they pass away due to COVID it will have a direct effect on their family members as they will go on isolation for 14 days so they cannot take it within a week.

“We have a backup plan and we have looked at having other avenues for the mortuary.”

Feedback:  wati.talebula@fijisun.com.fj