New cemetery for St Catherine

The need for an additional burial ground in St Catherine has been addressed with the addition of the Thetford Cemetery in Church Pen, St Catherine.

The 25-acre facility is now officially added to the roster of the Local Planning Authority.

According to the CEO of the St Catherine Municipal Corporation, Andre Griffith, the proper due diligence has been done.

“The plan has been approved, the rates have been gazetted and we are ready for burial. We are therefore having a meeting with the funeral homes to see the way forward,” Griffith said.

Telbert Roberts, public relations officer for the Association of Certified Embalmers, said: “I am very pleased with the addition of this cemetery, as for years we’ve been running out of space, this gives more choices for funeral arrangements.”

But he said that while the cemetery is good, strengthening of laws governing the burial industry must be addressed.

Roberts, who operates a funeral home in Linstead, St Catherine, said operators should be registered and licensed before being allowed to carry out burials.

“We were told that persons are using embalming fluid to commit murders. We have to buy these things through a permit from the Ministry of Health, so proper registration gives better accountability,” Roberts said.

Meanwhile, Mayor of Spanish Town Norman Scott said the new cemetery has improved the options of persons desirous of having their loved ones buried with dignity.