The Tribune

THERE is a horrific situation that has developed at Princess Margaret Hospital.

The morgue is too full. By far. The facility was designed to store a maximum of 66 bodies. It is presently storing more than 150.

There are no doubt many reasons for this – not least of all the pandemic raging all around us. The Public Hospitals Authority cited “the increase in deceased individuals as a result of COVID-19” as it appealed to people to collect bodies of loved ones stored in the morgue.

While there are reasons for the increased deaths, that of course does not explain the reticence of some to take their loved ones to bury.

Restrictions on burials have perhaps played a part. Perhaps too there is a reluctance to deal with bodies of COVID-19 patients, we do not know. Another possibility is the cost of arranging a burial – a burden greater than ever for so many people who may be out of work due to the pandemic and unable to afford to put bread on the table for their living relatives let alone bury a deceased one. Perhaps too some are holding out in the hope that restrictions on burials might be completely lifted so they are delaying the funeral as long as they can.

We do not know the reasons – and each person’s reason might be different from the next – but the reality is that it leaves the morgue overloaded at a time when it cannot afford to be.

More than one strong plea has been issued now for families to collect bodies – so people should be keenly aware that if they don’t come forward, there is a strong possibility that the authority will have to take action themselves.

We have seen the situation after Hurricane Dorian, where a refrigerated container stored bodies for so long that there were concerns about how intact they might remain.

More than that, we have seen the perfunctory mass funeral that was held for those bodies, with no loved ones beside them to say farewell, and barely a sign of a senior member of the government to mark their passing.

If we want to avoid the same, if we want to avoid bodies being sent to a pauper’s grave, then it is time for people to come forward.

There is little that shows our dignity more than the manner in which we mark the passing of those we love. Let us show that dignity, and say our final farewells.

Don’t be too quick to end aid

The news that the food distribution programme is coming to a close next month should be welcome news.

It should mean that people will no longer need it. It should mean that people will be able to stand on their own two feet.

It should mean that our economy has been reopened, people are back at work and able to pay their own bills and no longer in need of that helping hand.

That’s the idea. We’re not quite as sure of the reality.

With a number of hotels having already said they will not be reopening their doors on the date the government was aiming for, and may not open until the end of the year, if then, we fear that ceasing the programme might be jumping the gun. Even worse in San Salvador, where Club Med won’t be opening its doors for more than another year.

Social Services Minister was rightly proud in saying that more than 50,000 families across the country have benefited. But weigh that number a moment – that’s families. If that represents families with two or three children, that means around half the country has received aid in some fashion. That is a brilliant, Herculean effort – but that isn’t going to bounce back to normal within the next month.

We fervently hope a close watch is kept on how many families continue to need aid in the coming weeks – and if people are still in need, have no fear in extending the programme to keep up the help.

Mr Campbell said himself that “food, shelter and clothing – I believe in that same order are man’s basic necessities and as a government we are obliged to do all we can to provide that for as many as we can for as long as we can”.

As long as we can. Let’s not cut that lifeline off too soon.