Dionne Rose, Staff Reporter

The operations of funeral homes in Kingston and St. Andrew are to come under greater scrutiny.

This follows a resolution that was passed in the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) on Tuesday, which states that the KSAC would become a regulatory body for these funeral homes and parlours.

The resolution was moved by Jamaica Labour Party councillor, Robert Williams, of the Norbrook division, and seconded by Councillor John Myers of the Lawrence Tavern division.

But while the councillors of the People's National Party supported the resolution, Councillor Paul Stewart of the Hagley Park division recommended that the resolution be deferred and be improved on.

According to Councillor Williams, there were many illegal funeral homes operating in residential areas in the Corporate Area.

"Three years ago when I first brought the resolution to council, there were 85 listings (funeral homes) in the Yellow Pages ... that number has since doubled, just imagine those that are not listed and are using cellular phone contacts," he said.

Councillor Williams also pointed out the urgency of addressing the problem and the need to have other agencies, such as the Ministry of Health, be a part of the regulatory body.

"Now is the time to act to protect our municipality and country, let us involve the Ministry of Health and other parish councils," he said.

Reconvene a subcommittee

But Councillor Stewart insisted that the resolution needed further research, such as finding out how many of these funeral homes were operating illegally and how many were unlicensed. He said this could be dealt with by reconvening a subcommittee to look at the resolution.

"We require that it be improved upon to the satisfaction of all parties concerned," he said.

Mayor of Kingston, Desmond McKenzie, pointed out that the council already has the necessary information to support the resolution. He said the council knew that some 98 funeral homes and parlours were operating in Kingston and St. Andrew.

Deep freeze storage

"And of that 98, only seven have formal training and are licensed," he disclosed. "There are guidelines as to how the trade must be regulated and bodies cannot be passed from one undertaker to another undertaker. You will be surprised to know that many of the undertakers that you see here in Kingston buy deep freezes and store bodies in those deep freezes!"

dionne.rose@gleanerjm.com