AMA workers threaten to boycott coronavirus burials

Environmental health workers of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) who have been conducting the burial of persons who have died of COVID-19 since its outbreak have had to deal with some angry relatives of the deceased who want to have their way.

Leader of the COVID-19 burial team Joseph Asitanga told TV3’s Komla Adom in an interview that this weeks’ exercise was marred by a physical attack on his men.

He said that the relatives claim the remains were not part of the COVID-19 bodies.

Therefore, he said the family won’t allow them to pick the bodies from the Ridge Hospital Morgue for burial.

“We were beaten up at Ridge Hospital. My men want to take the bodies and the family members attack them and beat them up because they said their bodies is not a COVID-19 body. And we had to leave the bodies kept at the morgue,” he said.

The workers have vowed to boycott further burials unless they are provided adequate security

“Psychologically they are traumatized so as at Thursday they told me and warned me that they will never bury any dead body of COVID-19 until they get security,” he said.

Three months after President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo announced special packages for front-line workers, the team said they are yet to receive any incentives.

Mr Asitanga said “Up to date we have not been taken care of by the president’s incentives, reduction of tax waiver, 50%.

“We have received warning from the burial team around the country and they said if they do not get the tax waiver at the end of September then that ends it, they will not bury again.”

So far 116 bodies have been buried by the AMA as of August 29.