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Fears coffin could open Pandora’s box of deadly virus
A row is brewing over the expediency of opening a sealed coffin of a man who died in Saudi Arabia after contracting the Middle East Respiratory Corono Syndrome (MERCS) virus.
The Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) in Negombo is defying a court ruling by the Negombo Magistrate to carry out a postmortem on the body of 31-year-old man tagged as MERCS-infected.
Dr Ruhul Haq has refused to perform the postmortem on the grounds that the act would risk spreading the virus in Sri Lanka.
He says an autopsy would expose doctors and patients to the virus and that he cannot accept responsibility for the spread of the disease.
Dr. Haq said Saudi health authorities had confirmed that the man, a driver, had contracted the virus and died five months ago (in March). He had shown symptoms of MERCS including vomiting, diarrhoea and rapid deterioration. Saudi authorities had recommended that the man be buried immediately in that country but due to the insistence of the man’s wife the Sri Lankan health authorities had agreed to bring over the body. The man was sent to Sri Lanka in a sealed coffin with a tag confirming he had MERCS.
Dr. Haq said that because the widow had wanted to confirm that the body was her husband’s the sealed coffin had been opened for about 10 minutes. She had then filed a case alleging that he had been murdered and that some of his organs were missing. The woman, who is from Embilipitiya, is demanding a postmortem.
Following Dr. Haq’s refusal to perform the autopsy the Health Ministry has appointed a committee to review the case.
Dr. Haq said he is determined to stand by his decision and that others differed they could conduct the postmortem.
Medical Research Institute Consultant Virologist Dr. Jude Jayamah said the guidelines put forward by the World Health Organisation (WHO) should be followed. He said the decision should be made by the JMO who, if in doubt, could refer to the WHO guidelines.
The WHO, in a statement of principles on controlling epidemics from spreading from dead bodies, holds that priority should be given to the living over the dead and that communities should be protected from the transmission of medical epidemics.
It advocates a high level of protection when handling the bodies, community education on the risks of contagion from practices such as traditional washing of the dead and having large gatherings at funerals.
The WHO recommends that burials and cremation be carried out immediately after death at sites near the place of death.