Councillor expresses concerns about the treatment of bodies (From Harrow Times)

Harrow Councillor Husain Akhtar expresses concerns about the treatment of bodies

11:20am Saturday 19th January 2013 in News By Emma Innes

A Harrow councillor has written to a senior health service manager about the way bodies of people belonging to some religions are being treated.

Councillor Husain Akhtar wrote to David McVittie after his attention was drawn to concerns about the state in which bodies were being sent from hospitals to funeral parlors.

In his letter, the Canons ward representative highlighted examples that have been brought to his attention.

He said one volunteer who helps prepare Muslim women’s bodies for burial told him she has “noticed the lack of care and respect with regards to the state of bodies that are being sent to funeral parlours”.

The volunteer told him that she had seen bodies arrive with intravenous tubes still inserted, catheters not removed and without any clothing.

Cllr Akhtar, who has previously raised the wishes of some Jewish and Muslim people for MRI scans instead of invasive post-mortem examinations, wrote: “I do not know what the procedures are at the trust hospitals with regards to the deceased, but I would like to believe these are to encourage respect for the dead.

“I hope you would be able to ensure ways to preserve the dignity of the dead and put into place measures to remove all tubes, as well as to appropriately cover the deceased."