MP Rauff Hakeem called on the government to maintain and release records of individuals cremated during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly Muslim patients.

“Do not hide behind the Right to Information Act (RTI). We request you to provide details of Muslim patients who died of COVID-19 and were cremated. This must be openly discussed,” Hakeem said, accusing the government of concealing information. He also said that the incident was a blemish on the country’s health authorities.

Hakeem criticized the previous administration, noting that the new government was elected to rectify such mistakes.

Responding to the question, Health Minister Nalinda Jayathissa said that the government is in no way attempting to conceal information.

“This is not an issue of concealing information; it is about medical ethics. Under the RTI, divulging patient details is not permissible, and we have no right to withhold this information. You are well aware that the then government made Cabinet decisions that were not based on scientific evidence,” Jayathissa said.

Hakeem, requesting the government to publicize the names, addresses, and close relatives of those who succumbed to COVID-19 and were cremated, countered, however, that it is not an ethical issue. “How is that an ethical issue? It is true this was a mistake of the previous government, but I don’t understand how it is an ethical issue,” Hakeem said.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa stressed that families and communities affected by the decision must be compensated.

The government stated that the matter will be deliberated in consultation with the Attorney General to determine the release of details, reiterating that it does not intend to conceal any information.

This was followed by several statements from both government and opposition MPs who agreed that the decision of the previous government led to grave injustices to the Muslim community.

Hakeem called for official inquiries within the Health Department, highlighting that certain officials who were part of the committee that deliberated on COVID-19 cremations have now been appointed to higher offices.

“At least conduct a departmental inquiry. Those people must be penalized,” Hakeem said. (Newswire)

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The government of Sri Lanka has taken necessary measures to address the consequences of the compulsory cremation policy that was enacted in Sri Lanka during the COVID-19 pandemic period.

The Cabinet has approved a proposal presented to plead an apology on behalf of the Government from all the communities that were affected due to the enaction of the compulsory cremation policy.

The proposal to introduce a new law enabling a certain person or their relations to select either the burial or cremation of the dead person at their discretion has also received Cabinet approval. 

According to the government, cremation was recommended as a methodology for the disposal of dead bodies of persons who died due to the COVID-19 virus, as stipulated in the guidelines published by the Ministry of Health on the Clinical Management of COVID-19. 

A total of 276 persons from the Muslim Community who had passed away due to the virus were initially cremated, while in February 2021 permission was granted for burial with strict restrictions. 

In July 2021, a study was commenced by the Ministry of Water Supply with the assistance of the University of Jayawardenapura to identify the SARS-CoV-2 virus in aquatic environments in Colombo and Kandy, including river water, the water released from the hospitals, other quarantine places and other potential places where the wastewater was discharged. The studies revealed that there was no virus in the surface water. 

Meanwhile, a second study was also completed in March 2024 by the China- Sri Lanka Joint Research and Demonstration Center for Water Technology under the Ministry of Water Supply investigating the transmission of the SARS-CoV2 virus to water resources, including groundwater, where it was confirmed that the even though faeces and the urine are primary sources of transmission of the virus, it is not so through safe burial. 

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the joint proposal presented by the Ministers of Justice, Foreign Affairs, and Water Supply to plead an apology on behalf of the Government, from all the communities that were affected as a consequence of the compulsory cremation policy enacted in Sri Lanka during the COVID-19 pandemic period.

The government further acknowledged that the compulsory cremation policy at the time had caused displeasure among various religious groups and human rights activists, especially the Muslim community.

Studies made in this respect have also confirmed that the virus cannot be transmitted through safe burial and the government has taken measures to prevent similar situations in the future. 

As a key measure, attention has been drawn to introducing a law enabling a certain person or their relation to select the burial or cremation of the dead person at their discretion. It has also been proposed to introduce appropriate new laws to donate the dead bodies to the Medical Faculty, if necessary. 

Accordingly, the Cabinet approved the joint proposal presented by the Minister of Justice and Minister of Foreign Affairs to instruct the Legal Draftsman to prepare a draft for the introduction of the proposed new law. (Newswire)

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