Funeral mix-up puts spotlight on need to mourn loved ones in more intimate way

WE are losing a lot in this crisis. Firstly, and obviously, there is the loss of life. At least 1,265 of our fellow citizens have died from Covid-19. A further almost 21,000 have been confirmed infected, with varying degrees of severity and unpleasantness.

There is a massive economic toll as the lockdown lays waste to businesses, both new and those that have survived for generations.

There is a toll on the population’s mental health as many of us have become prisoners in our own homes. There is the toll on frontline workers who risk their health every day by keeping essential services running. And there is the toll on children, both those too young to understand why they can’t see their friends, and those who had studied hard for exams that have been cancelled or postponed.

And now, beyond all this, we are at risk of chipping away at our humanity.

The Irish Mail on Sunday reports today on a bizarre hospital mix-up that almost led to a wrong body being buried. At the request of the family, we are not identifying the person who died. However, as Mullingar Hospital has confirmed, the remains of the wrong person were presented to a funeral director.

As per the protocols around processing the remains of those who have died from Covid-19, the funeral director took charge of a sealed body bag. There was no opportunity for the family to view their deceased loved one. By the time the hospital realised the mistake, mourners had already lined out in the midlands town, maintaining an appropriate social distance, to pay their respects.

The hearse had to drive past them to return to the hospital and collect the correct remains, naturally causing distress to the family – and, no doubt, to the family of the other person when they were informed. There undoubtedly was no malice in this error; the upset was caused by a simple human mistake, and in a stressful environment it is easy to see how this might happen, even though it should not.

This sad story is a clear illustration of the assault Covid-19 is mounting on our way of life. We Irish will mourn our dead; we will pay our respects to the lives that have been lived and to the people who are left to grieve, but real efforts must be made to see if there is some way to make funerals more personal than they are at the moment.

It is inconceivable that there is no safe way for a grieving family to view the remains of a loved one; surely some creative thinking could be brought to bear to find a solution?

We have a strong sense of community that has so far brought us together to responsibly tackle this crisis, but at the very root of that is our strong sense of the importance of family and friends in our daily lives. We care, and always have done. It is an inherent decency that is exemplified by our respect for the rites that underpin Irish life.

So while we will accept certain, temporary limits on our freedoms and on our economic opportunities, this virus cannot be allowed erode our basic humanity, especially when it comes to mourning our loved ones.