The Tribune

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Deputy Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

HEALTH Minister Dr Duane Sands said discussions have started regarding possibly changing the seven-year official death declaration timeline for missing people, adding special considerations should be made in storm-related cases.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Dr Sands said he did not know what the timeline should be, but it was a conversation to be had among stakeholders.

He also said his ministry wants to publish certain storm-death related details that he believes the public needs to know. However, he did not say when this information would be made public, noting there was an "unfortunate" discrepancy over the number of missing people last week as a result of Hurricane Dorian.

"I think if there is overwhelming evidence that somebody is missing as a result of the storm that some consideration should be made," Dr Sands said outside of Cabinet yesterday. He was responding to a suggestion from Progressive Liberal Party leader Philip "Brave" Davis.

"Now what that timeline should be, should it be six months (or) a year, that is when discussion with all of the stakeholders would come up with an appropriate timeline.

"We have started that discussion," he continued, when asked if this was something government should now look at. "I believe the honourable attorney general would have made a few comments about it.

"Bear in mind that this not something that you can just pull out of thin air. It requires consideration of the implications."

He continued: "You know what were to happen if they declared Duane Sands to be dead and then six months later he shows up? Does he get to retrieve his real property? Does he get to now pay back the life insurance on his life? I mean these are serious questions.

"So while there is a need for closure I think we need to be very careful that we think this through very carefully and I suspect what will happen is that we come up with an intermediate, a position that a consensus position is found.

"I don't know what that time is."

Last week, Mr Davis called on the Minnis administration to shorten the time it takes to declare a person dead once missing after a natural disaster.

Mr Davis wants the change to be made to the Birth and Deaths Registration Act.

Regarding storm death related details, Dr Sands said the information could be an integral part of families finding closure.

"We believe that the public needs to know exactly how they can find out whether or not a loved one, a missing loved one, is in one of the morgues either in Grand Bahama or in Abaco or in New Providence.

"There is information that ought to be readily available and we think that that should be made public so that people know exactly where to go, who to speak to (and) what numbers to call.

"So the process for a family member who believes that a loved one maybe missing would include making that initial inquiry.

"We would ask quite a bit of information about where was the person last seen, what were they wearing, do they have any identifying characteristics, do they wear braces, do they have scars, have they had any surgery on a limb or do they have any particular tattoos.

"…Given the fact that a number of the bodies are in advanced state of decomposition, a request would be made for DNA since all of the autopsy remains have had DNA samples done.

"We then compare that DNA with the existing database of victims and if your loved one is in one of the morgues. Those remains would be turned over to the family for the appropriate last rights."

Asked if the information would be published this week, Dr Sands was noncommittal only pointing to the need to engage the Office of the Attorney General and the Ministry of National Security.

"I think we had a unfortunate discrepancy last week and we'd like to avoid anything like that so right now the carriage of the missing persons list is with national security.

"The Minister of National Security (Marvin Dames) would have said I believe that there are now 282 missing persons. We can confirm that we have had 61 storm related deaths and storm related bodies in the morgues in Grand Bahama and Abaco.

"There are still bodies in the morgue in Abaco and in Grand Bahama.

"There is one female body in Grand Bahama and there's more than 40 remains in Abaco and what we'd like to do is to ensure that anybody who is missing a loved one knows exactly how to do it and that that process, that the difficulty is minimised so that people can get closure."

Last week, there was a marked discrepancy over the people who are still unaccounted for.

In the House of Assembly on Wednesday, Social Services Minister Frankie Campbell said 1,208 were still unaccounted for following the monster storm.

However, National Security Minister Marvin Dames clarified the next day that police have reports of just 282 people still being missing. Two hundred and fifty-two of them are from Abaco and 20 from Grand Bahama, he said.

The Ministry of Social Services moved to publish an advertisement in The Tribune on Friday featuring the names of 1,208 missing people. However, the ministry pulled the ad late Thursday amid confusion about the correct figures.

Last Thursday, Mr Dames stressed that official missing persons lists must come from the police in part because if there is a need to involve the Coroner's Court to declare someone dead; police represent the government at such proceedings.