People and Places: Journeying with the dead

‘Me ne wo b3 ko oh’, this has become a very familiar phrase with mourners who can’t bear the pain of losing a loved one and would rather join them in the grave.

Perhaps a literal reflection of this is what some mourners depict when they go for the mortal remains of their deceased persons at the La General Hospital in Accra.

Dangerous or rather reckless driving and riding under the guise of ‘flaunting’, loud music playing, drumming and dancing, drunkenness, illicit drug use and indecency are very notable displays from the various groups of people who visit the morgue Thursdays and Fridays.

Residents in the area; South Labadi Estate, have complained about the activities by these mourners and have threatened court actions.

The location of the morgue, is also a big problem for residents who have to share a wall with the dead, suffer the pungent smell of rotten corpses, and inhale constantly, smoke from the burnt hospital waste.

There have been counter reactions from authorities at the hospital who said they have always opened their doors to hear the grievances of the residents as well as taken steps to curb the menace.

But does this stop the woes and fears of residents and the irresponsibility displayed by these persons?

Find out in this edition of People and Places, the growing indiscipline displayed by mourners, how lives have been affected by this and how residents in South La are ‘dying for the dead’.

Watch the full episode; ‘Journeying with the dead’ in this edition of ‘People and Places’ on Ghanaweb