THE family of a Co Donegal woman whose body several Dublin undertakers refused to embalm because of a fear of contracting hepatitis C yesterday called on the Department of Health to draw up guidelines to save other families from similar trauma.
The 61 year old woman, who died from hepatitis C, was brought from a Dublin hospital to her Donegal home last week. Her family said that after she died on Wednesday they began to make funeral arrangements. "At that time we had no idea of the difficulties we were to encounter" they said in a statement.
When the undertaker arrived at Beaumont Hospital on Thursday morning he was told the body was in a body bag which should not be opened. Consequently the body could not be embalmed.
"We were most distressed at this and angry as we had not previously been advised of any such problem. In an effort to resolve this we contacted the Minister's Office in the Department of Health but received no assistance whatsoever except the provision of the phone number of one firm of undertakers in Dublin."
The family contacted a number of undertakers in Dublin, but all refused to carry out any embalming, saying they were acting under guidelines from the British Association of Morticians, said the statement.
"In desperation we contacted the family of the late Brigid McCole. We were extremely reluctant to intrude on their grief. They were most helpful, as was their undertaker, Stephen O'Donnell, from Crolly. He gave us the names and phone number of morticians who would he willing to embalm the body. We were also advised of the facilities available at Altnagelvin Hospital bin Derry to safely dispose of fluids taken from the body."
The family also contacted the Office of the Chief Executive of the North Western Health Board. "In contrast to the Department of Health they were very helpful and sympathetic. We also received great assistance from Letterkenny General Hospital who offered such facilities as we required."
The family finally contacted an embalmer from Derry who agreed to assist them under the guidelines of the British Institute of Embalmers.
"Whilst all the inquiries were being made, our mother's body was left in a body bag in the hearse outside the mortuary of Beaumont Hospital on a very hot day for a couple of hours. Thankfully as a result of the assistance we received we were able to wake our mother at home in the traditional fashion as she would have wished."
They wanted to assure the people who came to their mother's wake that they were given "absolute assurances" it was quite safe to touch the body after it was embalmed.
"We call upon the Department of Health together with the relevant hospital undertakers and health boards to draw up detailed guidelines for the sensitive treatment of the bodies of hepatitis Cvictims."