Ever since the COVID-19 induced lockdown started, the medical wing of Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK) has been doing a noble task – giving a dignified farewell to the departed.
TMMK volunteers have, so far, taken care of the last rites of 16 deceased since March 24 in Coimbatore and eight of them were persons, who died of COVID-19. Across the State, TMMK volunteers performed over 300 burials.
M. Mohammed Rafiq, State joint secretary of TMMK’s medical wing, said that they were doing the service with the consent of the Health Department and the Coimbatore Corporation.
“Volunteers who do the service wear personal protective equipment (PPE) and other safety gears as per norms. Bodies are buried in 12-foot-deep grave. PPEs and other safety gears used for the service are properly disposed of,” he said.
“Though all the eight COVID-19 victims who were buried by our volunteers were Muslims, we are ready to offer service to people of any faith. Out of the 16 burials performed since lockdown started, four persons were from other faiths – one Christian and three Hindus – as their relatives faced difficulties due to lockdown restrictions,” said TMMK district president E. Ahammed Kabir.
As COVID-19 victims are taken directly from the hospital to the graveyard, family members and relatives do not get the chance to be part of the last rites.
TMMK district secretary Mujeebur Rahman said that the volunteers were taking adequate safety measures after burials, including self-isolation.
While the volunteers of the organisation do the service free of cost, they charge for the expenses on PPE kits, safety gears, disinfectants and cost of digging the grave from the family of the deceased, said TMMK district treasurer A. Abbas.
The organisation’s district joint secretary Ashik Ahammed said that those requiring the service of the volunteers can contact 99441-95051 or 90436-74768.
