Ghana reject request to transfer body of Dutch Coronavirus victim to private mortuary

Ghana has declined to grant a request by the Netherlands for the transfer of the corpse of a Dutch named Samuel Waterberg who died recently of COVID-19.

Mr. Samuel Waterberg, 41, died at the Ga East Municipal Hospital in Accra on Friday March 27, 2020.

His body has since been in the custody of the Ghana Health Service and other overseeing authorities.

The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands via Ambassador, Ron Strikker had written to the Ministry of Health on March 28, 2020, requesting that Mr. Samuel Waterberg’s body be transferred to a private mortuary for burial.

In responding, Ghana’s Health Minister – Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, said granting that request would flout Ghana’s public health protocols.

He had this to say:

“We regret to inform you that according to our Public Health Regulations, persons who died in such instances are strictly handled and buried by the State. Therefore, unfortunately we are unable to grant your request,” Mr Agyeman-Manu explained in a reply to the Netherlands embassy”.

Read the full letter below:

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