Nanumba North Assembly Trains Gravediggers on Safe Burial Practices

The Nanumba North Municipal Assembly has organised a special training programme for sextons and gravediggers in Bimbilla to equip them with skills in proper burial practices, safe handling of dead bodies, disease prevention, and cemetery management.

The training, organised by the Municipal Environmental Health Officer, Mr Zakaria Abdul-Hamid, also covered cemetery disinfection and other environmental health measures. Participants were provided with essential working tools, including protective jackets, hand gloves, helmets, pickaxes, hammers, and other safety equipment. The Assembly also supplied chemicals for the spraying and disinfection of cemeteries.

Speaking on behalf of the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Hon. Abdul-Samed Hamza, the Municipal Coordinating Director, Mr Sharif-Deen Ibra, described the work of gravediggers as vital to public health and community sanitation.

He explained that improper burial practices could expose communities to disease outbreaks and stressed the importance of using protective equipment when handling dead bodies. He added that the Assembly would intensify public education campaigns to encourage residents to bury their deceased relatives in designated cemeteries rather than at home.

The Municipal Environmental Health Officer, Mr Zakaria Abdul-Hamid, expressed gratitude to the MCE and the Municipal Coordinating Director for supporting the initiative. He disclosed that Nanumba North was the second assembly to benefit from the training programme after a similar exercise was conducted in the Tatale-Sanguli District.

According to him, the training was necessary because gravediggers are often exposed to infections when handling bodies without knowledge of the illnesses that may have caused the deaths. He further pledged to continue advocating for additional equipment and resources to support their work.

Gravediggers Appeal for More Support

Speaking on behalf of the gravediggers, Mr Waja Tinyando thanked the Assembly for the initiative and appealed to the government for further support.

Sharing his experience of nearly 18 years in the profession, he said society often overlooks the importance of their work despite its critical role in safeguarding public health.

He welcomed the Assembly's efforts to educate residents on the importance of using designated cemeteries, noting that indiscriminate burials at homes could create emotional and social challenges for bereaved families.

Mr Tinyando urged communities to embrace proper burial practices and expressed appreciation to the Assembly for the training and the provision of safety equipment.