President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in one of his addresses on Coronavirus prohibited returning dead bodies of COVID-19 victims for burial in Uganda.
The President based his argument on the fact that the virus survives on wood for a period of 9 days, and therefore chances are that the handlers of coffin right from the cargo crew to the mourners would be infected if the dead bodies are allowed into the country for a decent send off.
Museveni directed that the victims should be buried where death occurs.
Similarly, in Uganda Museveni said if any person succumbs to COVID-19 only health experts have the right to bury that person.
However, The Uganda Times has since established that a crew of six members from Aplus Funeral Services has been forced into quarantine by officials of Ministry of Health after they were intercepted at Entebbe Airport with a dead body brought into the country as Cargo on April 19 from Doha.
This body was aboard Qatar Airways.
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) acknowledges the incident.
“Human remains were formally received through Entebbe International Airport on Sunday, April 19, 2020 aboard Qatar Airways from Doha. There wasn’t any disguise,” said CAA, adding that the Standard Operating Procedures for receiving human remains were observed.
Shocking Details
Because the body arrived when the President had issued stringent measures and severe directives, an official from security was forced to check the documents entailed to release this cargo and it was established that the death was related to COVID-19.
“The death certificate related to COVID-19,” reports suggest.
This is when Ministry of Health was informed and its officials swung in action forcing all Aplus crew into 14 days of isolation since they had handled the body.
As the surveillance team of the Ministry conducted more investigations into the matter, it was found that a family in Uganda fronted Mengo Hospital to smuggle their dead body into Uganda and Mengo contracted Aplus Funeral Services to execute the mission.
Emmanuel Ainebyona, the Ministry of Health Spokesperson when contacted about the matter, without denying or confirming, he referred us to CAA’s earlier statement.
The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health Diana Atwine was yet to respond to our messages.
But Dr. Atwine would later post on Twitter that 8 people headed to Kayunga with a dead body which arrived as Cargo has been intercepted.
“Today our team intercepted 8 people who were taking the body for burrial in Kayunga. The body arrived by cargo plane from out of Uganda. The 8 are quarantined. Be reminded that bodies of Covid infected will not be allowed in the country. Please take note.”
The management of Aplus couldn’t answer our repeated calls when contacted.
Likewise, no official of Mengo Hospital was willing to comment on the matter reached.
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