Remains of all coronavirus victims will continue to be cremated as per experts committee – Health Minister

By Saman Indrajith

Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi told Parliament yesterday that the government would continue to cremate the remains of COVID-19 victims according to the recommendations of the experts’ committee headed by Consultant J.M.O Dr. Channa Perera.

The Minister said so in response to a series of queries raised by Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) leader, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, who made a special statement demanded to know the government’s standpoint on the issue of burying or cremating the bodies of COVID-19 victims.

The Health Minister said that the decision to cremate the remains of COVID-19 victims in Sri Lanka would not be withdrawn on religious, political or any other grounds.

MP Ponnambalam: “I raised this question on Dec 10. After that another committee included virologists headed by Prof. Jennifer Perera was appointed on Dec 24. As I’ve heard, that committee has stated that COVID-19 victims could be buried or cremated. It has submitted its report to the Ministry as well. When this committee was appointed, Dr. Channa Perera’s committee had already recommended cremating the bodies. So, which report would the Minister go by?”

Minister Wanniarachchi: “The committee headed by Prof. Jennifer Perera is a subcommittee appointed under the main committee headed by Dr. Channa Perera to look into the matter. The sub-committee handed over its report to State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics and Covid Disease Control Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle. That report has been forwarded to the main committee and they are considering the report at the moment. The main committee will announce its final decision after studying the report submitted by the sub-committee.”