Deputy Health Minister Leads Crusade To Resource Government Morgues With Safety Equipment

The illustrious Deputy Health Minister and ever smiling and hardworking Law maker representing Weija-Gbawe Constituency has declared her intention to lead a crusade to appeal to civil societies, philanthropists and individuals to join hands to procure safety equipment for the various regional government morgues across the country.

She declared her intention in an interview granted at her office at the Health Ministry in Accra on Tuesday 17th October, 2017 after she had met with the leadership of the Mortuary Workers Association of Ghana.

According to her, the decision to lead a campaign to secure support to resource the various government morgues with safety equipments stems from the risk the morgue workers are exposed to in the course of rendering morgue services to the public.

She stated that per the discussion she had with the leadership of the mortuary workers association, it is evident that mortuary men or attendants are not supplied with safety equipments such as hand or utility gloves as well as face masks to put on in the course of handling dead bodies.

She further stated that, the unavailability of such safety equipments make them resort to the use of their bare hands which put them at high risk to infections from the dead body. It is a known fact that majority of the dead bodies brought to the morgue for preservation stands some form of diseases, thereby exposing such workers to high risk of infections. This endangers their life.

When asked of her source of inspiration to lead a crusade to obtain support in the form of safety equipments for the mortuary attendants in all government morgues across the country, she remarked that, she saw the mother taken to the morgue when she passed on and since that day she has respected the mortuary attendants or the workers. “They took very good care of my mother even though they had no protective gloves and face mask on” she stated frankly.

“I believe with this campaign that I am championing, a lot of Ghanaians as well as civil societies will come on board to work hand in hand to resource the government mortuaries in all the ten regions” she stated. This will go a long way to enhance professionalism in the course of rendering mortuary services in the event of death.

She hinted that, in championing the course for the procurement of safety equipments to the mortuary men, she will also impress on government to take a second look at the condition of service and the salary paid to the mortuary workers. She explained that the work of the mortuary workers cannot be overemphasized or underestimated.

She stated that they are specialized in the field of mortuary services and that is where their gifts are, therefore they need to be taken proper care of so as to enable them live a meaningfully to themselves and the society in which they found themselves.

She finally called on individuals and civil societies to exercise their civil responsibilities towards enhancing the condition of service and also equipping mortuary men with safety equipments.