The Plight Of Mortuary Workers In Ghana: 20 Deaths Recorded In 2021

• The Mortuary Workers Association has lamented the ordeal they face in the work that they do and its conditions
• Many mortuaries in the country are in a dismal state, yet mortuary workers still have to work in these abhorrent conditions
• The facilities in the various mortuaries are in bad shape, and lack of space is also a very big problem

The state of mortuaries in Ghana is awful. Workers are forced to work in the worst conditions possible.

This has become an enormous problem, and the mortuary workers association has voiced out their plight as a number of them have died in the past year, with the deaths being linked to the harsh working conditions they find themselves in.

In a story covered by Pulse, the state of mortuaries in Ghana and the conditions these workers find themselves in are alarming. They are exposed to all sorts of infectious diseases.

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Most of these mortuaries are packed beyond capacity, making it challenging to efficiently cater to the dead bodies. For instance, in the Korlebu morgue, dead bodies could be seen lying on the floor with their fluids all over the floor. It is indeed an unpalatable condition.

In a report by Godwin Asediba at the Korle Bu mortuary, many mortuary attendants gave grim accounts of the conditions they find themselves in and the shockingly little remunerations they are paid for the kind of work they do.

One Mercy Okai Nii Okaija who was interviewed revealed the type of social stigma the job has brought her

She said:

Everyday trouble, even my own mother for 3 years didn't want to see me or talk to me

She went on to lament that they are really suffering as they are exposed to all kinds of diseases from the dead bodies and pleaded for government intervention

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52-year-old Richard also gave an account of their challenges, saying:

One thing is if you're a mortuary man, people don't see you as human, but that is not the case. However, it does not bother me at all, so whatever people say, I don't care

He disclosed that their salaries are terrible and that they are not even paid up to a GH₵1000. He further lamented that the salary is not good enough to cater for him and his family.

The report by Asediba shed light on the darkness of the mortuary services in the country. There has been clamor for change by many individuals.

The Harsh Conditions Of Mortuary Men In Korle-Bu

In a post previously published by YEN.com.gh, a mortuary attendant identified as Richard Tindani decried his paltry monthly salary coupled with the poor working conditions at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

Source: YEN.com.gh