Increase mortuary charges to deter families from keeping bodies for long - MOWAG tells gov't

The Mortuary Workers Association of Ghana (MOWAG) has asked the government to increase mortuary fees to deter families from keeping their dead relatives' bodies in the morgue for a long period of time.

According to them, some bodies are being kept between four (4) to six(6) months indicating such situations result in overcrowding at mortuary facilities across the country.

They stated that such instances also tend to make workers at various facilities ''work too much since many people are being kept at the mortuary unnecessarily''.

This follows accusations by a section of the public that workers at various facilities across the country charge huge sums of money.

Speaking to Radio Ghana today, the General Secretary of the Ghana Mortuary Workers Association Richard Kofi Jordan debunked assertions of charging huge fees and asked the government to increase mortuary charges at various facilities.

''We don't voluntarily charge. If people say we charge more than we do, we mortuary workers do not have a legal charge. The charge comes from the government who receives all the money that is collected at various facilities''.

''I think the government should raise it to discourage people from putting bodies at the mortuary 4-6 months. They have to bring something that will prevent people from doing that and that is making our various facilities overcrowded. People are working too much because too many people are being kept at the mortuary unnecessarily. The government should charge more when they do that it will prevent people from keeping bodies there for long''.

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Mr. Jordan also warned the government to address their grievances else they will withdraw their services. Adding to that, he spoke on some unresolved grievances of its members 

''I think the government is aware, the issue of understaffing is also there, salary and its review which were are still in talking terms with fair wages. We are hoping that this year, they shouldn't keep us waiting. The issue of protective clothing still we have serious issues in various facilities. Members are suffering on how to get their clothing to work.The government has not paid our new salaries for almost a year now.

''We think that maybe next week we shall communicate our pending grievances to the government and give a roadmap as to what is next.''