SHILLONG: The Greater Shillong Crematorium & Mortuary Society has sought Personal Protection Equipment ( PPE) kits to crematorium staff and imparting training as to how to wear, use and dispose of the PPE kits before and after cremation of COVID-19 infected bodies.
Earlier on Wednesday, though the government had decided to cremate the body of Dr John L Sailo Ryntathiang, who died due to coronavirus, at the electric crematorium at Jhalupara, the staff was not prepared and there was no prior information given.
The residents had also opposed the cremation of the body.
However, the Society clarified that they have no problem or objection in cremating bodies including the COVID infected but the administration will have to follow certain protocols.
In a joint statement issued on Thursday, JL Das,the president of the Society and its general secretary J Malakar, said that approval from the headman/village council of the locality should also be taken to cremate coronavirus affected bodies.
Das said approval should also be taken to cremate bodies beyond 8 pm.
Other suggestions of the Society are proper sanitisation of the crematorium including furnace before and after cremation and imparting training to handling of COVID infected bodies.
The Society also said the cremation of the body will be subject to trouble free functioning of the furnace and other related equipment whose life span expired long back.
As a result, the functioning of crematorium is affected at regular intervals.
The society also wanted advance information to be sent at least 3 hours before the body is brought to the crematorium.
The Society assured that nobody will be disrespected at his or her last journey and all sections of society will come forward and cooperate with the government- both the state and the Centre and that they stand united in defeating the pandemic.
