Funeral Home Staff Allegedly Leave Bodies On Morgue Floor Due To Lack Of Space
Even after death, the bodies of the deceased deserve a dignified send-off.
Unfortunately, some funeral homes were reportedly accused of leaving deceased bodies on the morgue floor due to limited manpower and space constraints.
In light of such events, National Environment Agency has imposed several new measures to prevent such incidents from happening.
Funeral parlour staff leave bodies on morgue floor
According to Shin Min Daily News, a funeral parlour employee recently learned of bodies being placed on the floor of a morgue.
The employee, who declined to be named, told the media outlet that he received a photo of two bodies on the floor of the morgue.
Source: Shin Min Daily News on Facebook
In the photo, the morgue appeared “crowded”, with several bodies occupying the main embalming tables.
As there were apparently no other embalming workstations, two of the bodies were left on the floor.
The act of leaving the bodies on the ground is disrespectful to the deceased, he explained.
However, another employee claimed that this was not a new issue, especially since the industry is facing staff shortages and limited workspaces.
JTC opened applications for funeral parlours to use their space
Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, a spokesperson for The Association of Funeral Directors Singapore said JTC had opened a public tender for funeral parlous.
This will allow the companies to utilise the units at Block 84 of Geylang Bahru Industrial Estate to provide embalming services.
Source: Google Maps
Since then, five to six companies were successful in their application and have begun operations.
Furthermore, he emphasised that the funeral industry needs more full-time staff who abide by the appropriate SOP to prevent similar incidents from happening.
NEA imposes new measures
Since the incident, NEA has imposed several new measures.
For instance, funeral parlours that provide embalming services must comply with a set of new regulations, aimed at improving the standards of the industry.
Those that fail to do so may have their licences suspended or revoked.
Additionally, embalmers must register and attend training sessions. Those who are new to the trade must also embalm 25 bodies under the supervision of an experienced embalmer.
Furthermore, only those registered with NEA can embalm the bodies. Information of both the embalmer and the apprentice must be recorded and kept up-to-date.
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