The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) on Tuesday, Aug. 17, said that the departed “must be treated with dignity” even amidst the raging coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in the country.
“Putting the deceased in warehouses falls short of society’s standards when treating them with dignity,” PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Senator Richard Gordon.
This after he ordered the deployment of PRC container vans with freezers to Cebu to help manage the COVID-19 death toll in the province.
Citing data from the Department of Health (DoH), PRC said that at least 438 persons have died of COVID-19 in the province of Cebu in the last two weeks.
As funeral parlors became overwhelmed, news of bodies being stored inside warehouses reached out to Gordon, prompting him to take action.
The PRC has a unit that ensures that bodies of fatalities are properly cared for and their belongings catalogued.
“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all staff engaged in handling the departed are suitably trained,” PRC said. “They are required to apply universal, standard, and transmission-based precautions at all times,” it added.
PRC noted that these measures include hand hygiene, environmental cleaning, appropriate use of PPE (long-sleeved impermeable gown, non-sterile nitrile gloves, face shield or goggles, respirator, and shoe covers/standard rubber boots).
As a protocol, PRC noted that the bodies of COVID-19 victims should be cremated or buried within 6 to 12 hours.
The PRC said it continues to support the province of Cebu by sending medical tents to support the hospitals which have reached full capacity.
Food trucks were also deployed to provide meals to communities under granular lockdown.