Female Mortuary Worker Shares Why They Knock before Entering Room Where Dead Bodies are Kept
- Ghanaian mortician and hearse driver Ewurabena Quartey has shared insights into her work at a mortuary in an interview with BBC News Pidgin
- The 24-year-old explains that staff knock before entering rooms where bodies are kept as a sign of respect for the dead
- Her reflections highlight how cultural beliefs and professional practices shape the work of mortuary staff in Ghana
A Ghanaian mortician, Ewurabena Quartey, has shared insights into her work in the funeral profession, describing how respect for the dead shapes daily routines at the mortuary where she works.
In an interview with BBC News Pidgin, the 24-year-old mortician and hearse driver explained a practice observed before entering rooms where bodies are kept.
Source: UGC
She said staff knock on the door before entering, not in expectation of a response, but as a symbolic gesture of respect.
Quartey noted that the practice reflects cultural values that treat the deceased with the same dignity they received in life.
She explained that just as people knock before entering a living person's home, the same courtesy is extended to the dead as a form of continued honour.
She added that even simple actions in the mortuary, such as accidental contact with a body, are followed by an apology, reinforcing the emphasis on respect in the profession.
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Quartey also said she has never experienced any supernatural encounters in her line of work, although she believes in the existence of spirits.
Her reflections highlight the cultural and emotional dimensions of mortuary work, where care for the deceased is closely tied to tradition and personal belief.
Source: YEN.com.gh
