Ministry of Health alerts families that six bodies – some unclaimed since 2021 – will be buried if left unclaimed

In line with the recent amendments to the Public Health Act, the
Ministry of Health has issued a press release notifying the family of
six deceased men – some of whose bodies have been unclaimed for
years – that their burials will take place if the corpses are not
claimed.

In September 2023, the Houses of Parliament approved a Bill that
authorizes funeral homes to bury unclaimed bodies after a specified
time.
 
According to the Act, “Where any human corpse … remains
unclaimed for more than fourteen days, the director of the funeral
home or the person in charge of the authorized place for keeping
human corpses shall obtain permission from the Chief Public Health
Inspector to bury or cremate such corpse.”

Now, the Office of the Chief Health Inspector is advising the public of
the names of the deceased and the dates of their passing:
 
Nathaniel Andrew, who died on December 28, 2021; Dequan
Cummings, who died on January 12, 2022; Renol Delva, whose death
is recorded as September 23, 2021; Anderson Quinland, who passed
on September 18, 2022; Edward Sylvester, who departed this life on
December 6, 2021; and Kimo Lee who passed away on October 18,
2022.

All the corpses are being kept in storage at the Barnes Funeral
Home.

In order to avoid these bodies being summarily buried within 14
days, family members are asked to contact Jessica Barnes, the
managing director of the funeral home, on lower Newgate Street, to
arrange for private ceremonies.
 
If relatives fail to show up at the funeral home after this notice, the
press release advises, the Government will take the appropriate
action and have the bodies interred at a public cemetery without
further notice.
 
The families are advised that legal action after burial of their
relatives is not an option, since the amendments to the Public Health
Act authorize the Government to take this action.