On caring for the dead

THE EDITOR, Sir:

KINDLY ALLOW me space to respond to an article in The Gleaner of July 10, 2001 captioned, "Face to face with death."

The bodies under no circumstances, should not have been allowed to be on the ground for days from Saturday, July 8. The security forces should know that the result of this would be decomposition.

The correct procedure was not followed re the removal of the bodies.

(1) They should be tagged on the spot - unidentified male/unidentified female.

(2) Brown paper bags should be placed on their hands to preserve any gunpowder residue. This should enable the evidence to be preserved if any of the victims were engaged in the firing of guns. (If the brown paper bag is not used, the hands will sweat, causing valuable evidence to be lost).

(3) The bodies should be wrapped in disposable sheets, placed in disposable body bags and immediately placed in a mortuary cooler.

(4) The bodies should be processed and examined one by one by the police and the pathologist simultaneously at the funeral home. An emergency morgue should be established at the funeral home to carry out autopsies.

(5) Those who lost loved ones, should be allowed to identify the bodies by showing them one body at a time, after the body has been disinfected, preferably with chlorine bleach and a detergent solution, to eliminate the odour and stench.

We cannot panic when these emergencies arise. We should institute the proper procedures now, in order not to have a repeat of the scenario that was written about by Senior Associate Editor - Lloyd Williams.

There are funeral homes in the Corporate Area with the necessary supplies to handle these emergencies. Help should be sought from them.

I am, etc.,

JOSEPH M. CORNWALL

Managing Director

House of Tranquility

Funeral Home Limited

Kingston

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