Funeral Procedure For COVID-19 In Jogja When PPKM Increases By 100 Percent

YOGYAKARTA - Cemeteries with COVID-19 procedures in Yogyakarta City for about the last month or during PPKM since July 3 have increased 100 percent compared to the period before PPKM (Restrictions on Community Activities).

"From August 2020 to July 29, 2021, there have been a total of 1,070 funerals with COVID-19 procedures. All of them are dead patients who have been confirmed to be exposed to COVID-19", said the Head of the Yogyakarta City Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Nur Hidayat, quoted by Antara, Thursday, July 29.

Based on data from August 2020 to July 2, 2021, the Yogyakarta City BPBD conducted 500 funerals with COVID-19 procedures and from 3 July to 29 July 2021 there were 570 funerals with COVID-19 procedures.

"This means that the number of patients who died from COVID-19 during PPKM is the same as the total number of deaths in the past year", he said, mentioning about 200 funerals of which were patients who were self-isolating at home.

Every day, the funeral team from the Yogyakarta City BPBD receives requests for 30 to 40 funerals for COVID-19 procedures. However, in the last three days, it has started to decrease to an average of 20 requests per day.

Due to the high demand for funerals, the six Yogyakarta City BPBD teams were overwhelmed because one funeral process usually takes about three hours at the fastest.

"For example, there are residents who die at home, then they must first be evacuated to the hospital followed by remediation, excavation of the gravesite, then buried", he said.

Sometimes, Nur continued, the team was faced with the difficulty of obtaining burial grounds in the city of Yogyakarta, so they had to be buried in the nearest district, such as in Bantul.

"Only then did the team return for decontamination, rest, and take turns with another team", he said.

Therefore, Nur hopes that people who have family members who have died due to COVID-19 are expected to be more patient. “If it is already on the list, the officers will continue to handle it. Just wait, because it can't be done in an hour or two immediately," he said.

Therefore, to support the acceleration of handling funerals with COVID-19 procedures, the Yogyakarta City BPBD is assisted by volunteers from disaster-resilient villages (KTB).

“Of course we first provide education about the funeral procedures that must be carried out. Many volunteers were involved so that they helped the funeral process", he said.

It is hoped that the funeral volunteers for the COVID-19 procedure will be formed up to the village level so that handling can be carried out more quickly.

“We facilitate personal protective equipment, education on funeral protocols. For now, there are volunteers in 30 urban villages from 45 urban villages in the city of Yogyakarta", he said.