Healthcare workers endure 1km walk carrying casket of COVID patient's body for funeral

SEREMBAN: Walking for almost an hour carrying a casket containing remains of a COVID-19 patient for the funeral at an Orang Asli settlement in Lenggeng, near here, recently, has really put the mental and physical endurance of three healthcare workers to the test.

Despite having to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) in the scorching hot weather, Mohd Adree Zuzalee Adnan, Sheikh Ezamli Sheikh Dolah and Mohd Shahran Musa of the Seremban district health office, together with five undertakers, remained committed to carrying out their duties.

Mohd Adree, 37, who has been handling COVID-related funerals since last year, said he never expected that he would endure such experience.

"Carrying the casket through a hilly route for almost one kilometre while wearing the PPE in the hot weather was such a challenge for us as we had to use the proper breathing technique to avoid from getting tired so easily.

"We also had to take several short stops to rest before continuing our journey to the graveyard, located in Kampung Orang Asli Jeram Kedah that is only accessible by foot," he told Bernama recently.

Mohd Adree also took to social media to share the unforgettable experience of handling the burials last Friday.

The post made via his Facebook account under the name 'Aliff Dal Ro Ya' has been widely shared by netizens who continue to give words of gratitude and encouragement to the healthcare personnel team.

Mohd Adree said those involved in the burial process were also required to fully comply with the standard operating procedures set by the Ministry of Health (MOH) to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

He added that said they still need to carry out full-body sanitisation right after taking off the PPE gear and before heading home.

Despite the various challenges faced, Mohd Adree said he and his colleagues never considered the task as a burden but a trust that must be carried out as responsibly.

"We are always prepared to carry out the task of managing the funeral for those who died of COVID-19 regardless of the time and location..having physical and mental readiness is very important for us as we can't really predict what might happen when managing the funeral rites," he said.

-- BERNAMA