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Managing the Deceased in COVID-19 Pandemic -
Preparedness, Response, Management and Collaboration
Due to the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic does not discriminate with relevant agencies including Royal Malaysia Police and the
its victims, it is of utmost importance that guidelines for management Malaysia Civil Defense Force on the management of suspected
of the deceased from all suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases, COVID-19 patients who were brought in dead from outside hospital
including the unidentified deceased, to be developed. This will not grounds.
only ensure the safety of personnel managing the bodies but is also
in consideration of religious and medicolegal requirements. Thus, the MOH has also participated in the productive collaboration between
Medical Development Division and MOH Forensic Medicine service Department of Islamic Development Malaysia, Office of Mufti of
engaged with various government agencies, religious departments Federal Territory as well as the Federal Territory Islamic Religious
as well as NGOs in the development of several guidelines. During Department to produce the guideline for managing COVID-19 dead
the initial spread of the novel virus, guidelines on the forensic bodies for Muslims.
management of COVID-19 were mostly adapted from the Ebola
management guidelines as much was then yet to be understood
about the transmission modes and effects of COVID-19 on dead
bodies.
In March 2020, the Director General of Health Malaysia, “Mesyuarat
Jawatankuasa Muzakarah Khas” for the Muslims and The Interfaith
Council for the Non-Muslims collectively agreed upon the decision
to minimize the process of performing funeral rites for the deceased
with suspected/probable/confirmed COVID-19.
This guideline which is reviewed from time to time as per necessity, 1 2 1 & 2. Training and practical sessions on correct techniques in
hand sanitization, full donning of PPE and management
explains regarding the management of the deceased COVID-19 3 4 of dead body by National Forensic Medicine Institute of
patients in hospitals, from identification by the next of kin to the 3. Hospital Kuala Lumpur with the Royal Malaysia Police
Team of Experts from the Ministry of Health presented to
funeral procedures for the funeral directors, management of the National Muzakarah Committee Meeting of Islamic
postmortem specimens in cases with probable/confirmed COVID-19 Religious Affairs of Malaysia at the Special Muzakarah JK
and the recommended PPE usage in the management of deceased 4. meeting, 15 March 2020
Pre-Muzakarah discussion session between Forensic
with suspected/probable/confirmed COVID-19 infection. A separate Medicine Specialists and MOH top management in the
guideline was also developed upon the collaboration between MOH presence of JAKIM
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