PUTRAJAYA: "The recitation of Al-Fatihah and prayers are offered as final 'gifts' from us to the remains of COVID-19 patients," said Yazrul Ekhzan, 42.
According to the staff of the Putrajaya Corporation Cemetery and Crematorium Sub-Unit, there was a time when he felt 'lonely' when handling the remains of COVID-19 patients as no next of kin were allowed to accompany the deceased on their final journey.
"It is hard to see that the relatives of a COVID-19 victim could not touch, hug or kiss the body for one last time. Some family members came to accompany the hearse but could not come near to the cemetery because of the standard operating procedures (SOP) in curbing the risk of infection," he told Bernama recently.
The heavy workload and less attention from the community could not break the spirit of Yazrul and his six other colleagues who work as gravediggers.
The father of four said they received phone calls almost every day from Putrajaya Hospital to dig graves because there will be bodies that will be sent to the Taman Selatan in Precinct 20 which has Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu and Christian cemeteries.
Upon receiving the task entrusted to them, Yazrul said he and his six other friends will proceed to the cemetery to ensure the remains were handled as soon as possible to avoid the risk of virus transmission.
"Teamwork is very important because we have to face unpredictable weather, especially when it is really hot or heavy rain," he said.
Some people are failing to understand that COVID-19 is something serious and it is sad to see that they are taking it lightly by not complying with the SOP set by the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH), said Yazrul who has been working as a gravedigger for nearly six months.
Meanwhile, his colleague, Zulkhurnain Abu Samah, 50, said gravediggers played an important role during the COVID-19 pandemic even though they are not rescuing lives or maintaining public safety like other frontline workers.
"This is a trust and we have to carry it out with full dedication despite the difficulties. When COVID-19 first hit the country, we were worried about handling the bodies because at that time there was not much information on the virus and its danger level.
"As the daily cases surge and the death toll also increases, we need to execute this task as well as we could," he said.
Another colleague, Mohd Rizal Othman, 41, said so far, none of them have been infected or quarantined.
"Alhamdulillah...we are safe until today. Besides all the prayers, we always ensure that the SOP for funeral and burial management set by the Putrajaya District Health Office (PKD) is complied with, especially involving the correct use of the PPE suits," he said.
-- BERNAMA
Bernama
Fri Jun 25 2021
![Gravediggers offer prayers for COVID-19 victims Gravediggers offer prayers for COVID-19 victims](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2021-06/61624604124_pengurusanjenazah.jpg)
The heavy workload and less attention from the community could not break the spirit of Yazrul and his six other colleagues who work as gravediggers. BERNAMApic
![Ahli ekonomi yakin pertumbuhan KDNK sekitar 5.8 peratus pada suku kedua 2024 Ahli ekonomi yakin pertumbuhan KDNK sekitar 5.8 peratus pada suku kedua 2024](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-06/81717305735_EkonomiMalaysia.jpg)
Ahli ekonomi yakin pertumbuhan KDNK sekitar 5.8 peratus pada suku kedua 2024
Kalangan ahli ekonomi yakin KDNK Malaysia bagi suku kedua 2024 akan berkembang pada 5.8 peratus berbanding 4.2 peratus pada suku pertama tahun ini.
AWANI Pagi: Berita tumpuan & menarik di astroawani.com [15 Ogos 2024]
Antara fokus AWANI Pagi bersama Nursyazwani Saiful Sham dan Afiezy Azaman
- Mayat lelaki di jambatan Klang dipercayai YouTuber Nidza Afham
- BNM denda Maybank, CIMB kerana gangguan perkhidmatan berpanjangan
- JIWA SME: Inovasi kuih sejuk beku jadi kudapan jemaah tunai umrah
#AWANInews #AWANIpagi
- Mayat lelaki di jambatan Klang dipercayai YouTuber Nidza Afham
- BNM denda Maybank, CIMB kerana gangguan perkhidmatan berpanjangan
- JIWA SME: Inovasi kuih sejuk beku jadi kudapan jemaah tunai umrah
#AWANInews #AWANIpagi
![Cisco akan kurangkan 7 peratus tenaga kerja globalnya Cisco akan kurangkan 7 peratus tenaga kerja globalnya](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/41723681507_Ciscologo.jpg)
Cisco akan kurangkan 7 peratus tenaga kerja globalnya
Langkah mengurangkan kakitangan itu dijangka melibatkan kos pra-cukai sehingga AS$1 bilion.
Jiwa SME: Kuih tradisonal sejuk beku 'diterbangkan' ke Tanah Suci
Inovasi pembuatan makanan sejuk beku, terutama kuih muih tradisional telah berjaya membawa produk itu ke peringkat global, terutama dalam memenuhi citarasa jemaah haji dan umrah rakyat Malaysia di Tanah Suci Mekah dan Madinah.
![Gol sulung Mbappe bantu Real Madrid juarai Piala Super UEFA Gol sulung Mbappe bantu Real Madrid juarai Piala Super UEFA](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/51723679998_KylianMbappe.jpg)
Gol sulung Mbappe bantu Real Madrid juarai Piala Super UEFA
"Ia adalah malam yang hebat. Ia adalah detik yang hebat untuk saya. Dan kami memenangi kejuaraan, yang penting - di Madrid anda perlu sentiasa menang."
![“I love you Am, bahagialah di syurga firdausi” - Aufahanie “I love you Am, bahagialah di syurga firdausi” - Aufahanie](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/51723679258_AufahanieNidzaAfh.jpg)
“I love you Am, bahagialah di syurga firdausi” - Aufahanie
Air mata Aufahanie sudah kering meratapi pemergian abang tercinta, Nidza Afham yang ditemui meninggal dunia selepas dilaporkan hilang.
Konsert jelajah: Taylor Swift teruskan konsert London selepas ancaman keganasan
Taylor Swift akan meneruskan persembahan di London pada Khamis, meneruskan jelajah konsert terbesar dunia di tengah-tengah kebimbangan keselamatan susulan cubaan serangan Daesh memaksa pembatalan tarikh konsert di Vienna, minggu lalu.
Taliban rai ulang tahun ketiga pemerintahan Afghanistan
Kerajaan Taliban semalam meraikan ulang tahun ketiga pemerintahannya di Afghanistan dengan perarakan tentera yang memberi penghormatan kepada bom buatan sendiri yang digunakan ketika peperangan, pesawat pejuang dan perbarisan pasukan keselamatan.
![Bapa bintang bola sepak Sepanyol, Lamine Yamal ditikam - Laporan Bapa bintang bola sepak Sepanyol, Lamine Yamal ditikam - Laporan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/61723677980_MounirNasraoui.jpg)
Bapa bintang bola sepak Sepanyol, Lamine Yamal ditikam - Laporan
Mounir Nasraoui, bapa kepada Lamine Yamal, ditikam pada lewat Rabu di tempat letak kereta di bandar Mataro di timur laut Sepanyol.
Warga AS dihukum penjara 15 hari di Rusia kerana bersikap samseng
Mahkamah Moscow menjatuhkan hukuman penjara 15 hari kepada warga Amerika Syarikat Joseph Tater pada Rabu kerana bersikap samseng.