GEORGE TOWN – The high rate of deaths due to Covid-19 may not necessarily be a boon for casket services operators despite the widely held perception that for them, more fatalities mean higher profits.
Peace Casket founder Felix Nair said conducting services for virus victims comes at a higher cost than usual, hence, reducing profit.
“It is a totally different affair from normal funerals and it is more expensive.
“If you are talking about immediate funerals, where the body is sent directly for cremation, it costs RM3,000 to RM5,000, depending on religious needs.
“When it comes to a Covid-19 death, it is approximately RM6,000 to RM8,000,” he said.
This is due to stringent controls that require additional care and equipment when handling the remains.
“My establishment does not handle Covid-19 deaths because I prefer protecting my staff rather than putting them at risk, and when I get referrals to handle these deaths, I pass them on to a third-party associate who will handle them instead.
“However, there are about five to six associates in Penang who have taken it upon themselves to handle Covid-19 deaths.
“That does not mean it is a lucrative business for them as the cost involved is higher – the price to use the crematorium is much higher, the staff is paid more because of the risks involved.
“There is also sanitisation and personal protective equipment (PPE) to be considered,” he added.
Once a Covid-19 patient is pronounced dead, only one family member is allowed to go in to identify the body through a glass door, Nair said.
“The body will then be placed in three cadaver bags before it is sanitised.
“Then, the body will be placed in the casket, and sanitised again before it is sealed.
“After the sealing process, it is sanitised again before the casket is wrapped in cling wrap.
“It will then be loaded onto the hearse and brought to the crematorium immediately and into the incinerator.
“There is no paying of respects or any kind of service.
“At the crematorium, family members have to be 30m away from the remains – they cannot go close to the casket.
“They are probably only allowed to say a quick prayer from where they are supposed to stand, before the casket goes into the incinerator.
“From what I see, it is difficult for families who experience Covid-19 deaths to get closure.
“Once the person enters the hospital, that may also be the last time they meet their loved ones.
“Sometimes, doctors or nurses can help conduct video calls, but for those who (die) when they are in an induced coma, there are no goodbyes,” he said.
Felix said other than an uptrend in Covid-19 fatalities in Penang, “common deaths” are more frequent, different from past years when there was a “death trend”, in which there are more deaths in a particular season in the year.
He also pointed out that suicide cases have not been as high as they were at the beginning of the year.
“I’ve not done a study on it, but if you look at the situation, it may be because of the loss of the will to live, being stuck at home, and the frustrations that stem from that.” – The Vibes, September 15, 2021
