Honoring the Covid-19 Dead

Kompas/Heru Sri Kumoro

Funeral workers bury the body of a person who died of Covid-19 according to proper health protocols on Sunday (12/4/2020) at Tegal Alur Cemetery in West Jakarta. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) recorded that 373 people had died from the disease by 4:40 p.m. on Sunday (12/4/2020), an increase of 46 deaths from the previous day. The BNPB also recorded 359 recovered cases on Sunday, a daily increase of 73 cases.

Behind the burial of those who have succumbed to Covid-19 are the stories of distressed cemetery workers. They are fighting back their personal fears of contracting the disease in order to treat the dead with the utmost respect.

Dozens of mounds of still-damp soil, devoid of any wreaths, could be seen on Friday (10/4/2020) at Padurenan Public Cemetery in the West Java city of Bekasi, the final resting place for those who had died of Covid-19.

Cemetery worker Fadli Muhamad, 28, said that he remembered the days he experienced along with 26 other colleagues to bury the bodies of people who had died of the infectious disease. Since the Covid-19 outbreak emerged in Bekasi, local hospitals had been sending two to three bodies per day by ambulances to be interred at the cemetery according to Covid-19 protocol.

Fadli said he was frightened of catching the disease as well as of spreading it to his family.

In his 12 years as a cemetery worker, the father of one has never been so frightened and anxious while laying the dead to rest. The high number of people who have died from Covid-19 makes him shudder, especially as he must touch the dead bodies. Fadli said he was frightened of catching the disease as well as of spreading it to his family.

However, his humanitarian spirit eventually overcame his fears. He said that his heart broke every time he buried someone who had died of Covid-19, some of whose burials were not attended by even a single member of their family. When family and relatives attended a burial, they were required to stay at a distance of at least 50 meters from the grave. They could only pray or cry over the deceased from afar.

Kompas/AGUS SUSANTO

Officers with complete personal protective equipment (PPE) tidy up the special casket of a COVID-19 patient at the Dharma Agung funeral home, Bekasi City, West Java,  on Thursday (2/4/2020).

Using personal protective equipment (PPE) comprising a full suit, including a helmet, mask, goggles, gloves, and boots, Fadli and his colleagues strive to honor and respect the dead. It can get stuffy and hot inside the PPE, and they are quickly drenched with sweat. However, they ignore this and proceed with their duty.

Unfortunately, some of the dead were buried without a coffin. Fadli recalled that on 26 March 2020, when he and his colleagues went out in search for coffins at several places, including hospitals, they could find none.

“We contacted the deceased’s family and they said they would not come [to the burial]. They only asked us to mark the grave,” said Fadli.

The body was thus buried without a coffin. The cemetery workers were scared, as they had to inter the person, who had died of Covid-19, without a coffin. The first family member visited the grave 15 days after the burial took place.

Twel, 48, another cemetery worker, said that he felt dread when burying people who had died of Covid-19. Even after he had finished the burial and had gone home, he remained so frightened that he could not sleep. His biggest worry was that he would contract the virus and be shunned by his neighbors, who were just as frightened as he was.

However, his fear diminished as he and his colleagues shared their personal fears. Sharing their experiences led to a growing sense of camaraderie, and to words of mutual encouragement. They came to believe that all good deeds would be rewarded with safety and health.

Kompas/Heru Sri Kumoro

Funeral workers bury the body of a person who died of Covid-19 according to proper health protocols on Sunday (12/4/2020) at Tegal Alur Cemetery in West Jakarta. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) recorded that 373 people had died from the disease by 4:40 p.m. on Sunday (12/4/2020), an increase of 46 deaths from the previous day. The BNPB also recorded 359 recovered cases on Sunday, a daily increase of 73 cases.

In their spare time, they joked around and teased one another to quash their fears. “We joked that we’re becoming whiter these days, as we might bathe up to 10 times a day,” Twel said, laughing.

After each burial, the cemetery workers immediately take off their PPE and soak them in detergent, bathe, and then rinse the PPE. They then hang up their PPE to dry under the sun for reuse.

Normal pay

Though they might be on the front line, preparing and burying the bodies of people who had died of Covid-19, the cemetery workers receive no special allowance. They receive their usual pay of Rp 3.5 million (US$221.46) every month.

Yayan Sopian, who heads cemetery management at the Bekasi Housing Agency, was with his men every day to give them encouragement. He said that the Bekasi municipal administration guaranteed that all their needs were met, including PPE, meals, vitamins and medicines.

The results of their rapid tests show that they are healthy.

“I also regularly consult with doctors regarding the risk of infection. The doctors said that the bodies were safe [to handle]. Alhamdulillah [Praise be to God], everyone in the cemetery management unit is still healthy today. The results of their rapid tests show that they are healthy,” Yayan said.

Bekasi Mayor Rahmat Effendi said on Saturday (11/4) that 56 people had been buried according to Covid-19 protocol at Padurenan cemetery.

Kompas/Heru Sri Kumoro

Funeral officers spray disinfectant to fellow officers after burying the body with Covid-19 in TPU Jombang, South Tangerang, on Saturday (4/4/2020).

Amid the limitations and the risks for cemetery workers, the bodies of people who have died of Covid-19 still receive the proper treatment in Bekasi. In other regions, including Bandar Lampung in Lampung and the Central Java regencies of Banyumas and Semarang, people have objected to the local burial of people who had died of Covid-19, spurred by excessive fear and poor understanding of the disease and the virus that causes it.

People who have died of Covid-19, especially frontline and humanitarian workers like medical professionals and cemetery workers, should receive proper burials and should not be the target of social stigmas.