India Government Issued Nod To Repatriate Mortal Remains Of Nris

26 April 2020 Coronavirus

The regulations outlined by the External Affairs Ministry and the Health Ministry must be strictly adhered to, the Home Ministry said in a notification issued on Saturday. Airport authorities have to follow the protocols laid down by different government agencies in this regard, notification added.

Home Ministry said the Standard Operating Procedures issued by the health ministry in this regard must be strictly adhered to. The Operating Procedures says the importation of the human remains of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 case into India is not recommended. However, if human remains of the suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 arrive at Indian airports, the concerned Airport Health Officer (APHO) has to follow certain procedures. The APHO will verify the the death certificate mentioning the cause of death as confirmed COVID-19 or suspected COVID-19, it said. It will also verify the no-objection certificate (NOC) for the transportation of human remains of the deceased issued by the Indian Embassies or High Commissions or Consulates and embalming certificate issued by an authorised agency. The APHO will verify the required documents and inspect the packing in accordance with the provisions under the Indian Aircraft (Public Health) Rules. If there are any obvious signs of damage to the coffin, the handlers shall use full PPE, cover the coffin in plastic sheets to avoid any contact with the body or body fluids before hand-over of the human remains to the concerned authority for final burial or incineration.

The concerned airline (carrying the damaged packing containing human remains) need to carry out the disinfection of the aircraft as per the norms and the staff handling the cargo (human remains in question) shall be quarantined for 28 days.

According to reports, the mortal remains of at least 150 Indians are kept in various Gulf Countries. The embalmed bodies of two Indians are still in Kuwait pending approval. On Friday, three bodies were sent back from New Delhi to Abu Dhabi citing procedural irregularities.

 

SOURCE : IIK

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