UAE authorities have placed strict measures regarding the remains of individuals who have died due to complications from the coronavirus disease, requiring either immediate burial or cremation.
Reynaldo Buenaflor Angulo, known to the Filipino community as their ‘Kuya Rey’, shares that hospital measures regarding those who died of COVID-19 prevent loved ones from seeing their departed relatives.
“The family or friends do not get to see the body before cremation to protect everyone from any possible infection. The body is properly identified by the mortuary personnel,” shares Kuya Rey.
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Kuya Rey, a recognized volunteer social worker at Rashid Hospital, urges fellow Filipinos to stay home despite the UAE’s relaxed measures to minimize risks of contracting the disease, stating that those who unfortunately died due to the viral disease were left alone in their final moments.
“To my kabayans, if there is nothing really necessary for you to leave the house, I strongly advise that you stay home in order to ensure your safety and protection. You and I have the choice to either face the risk or preserve your life. There is nothing that can replace the gift of human life. Truth be told: We have only one life to live and COVID-19 is not worth dying for,” said Kuya Rey.
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The ashes are then retrieved from the crematorium after one day and can be sent home after processing all documents from the Philippine and UAE authorities.
