The Ministry of Social Solidarity (MSS) has purchased more than 10 new hearses this year in response to family needs.
The ministry’s National Director for Social Assistance, Mateus da Silva, said the vehicles have been distributed to Viqueque, Baucau, Lautem, Manatuto and Covalima municipalities, withthe remainder to be used in Dili.
He said the lack of hearses was a major problem, making it difficult to transport the dead from the hospital to their families for burial, while at the same time the numbers of dead are increasing daily.
“Sometimes the family come and ask for help, but there is no car because it is being used, so we don’t know what to do, this is the reality,” he said.
He hoped that the additional 10 hearses would address community complaints about the situation.
“I hope that we can reduce the concerns of bereaved families and that these will be sufficient to respond to emergency cases, and in particular to assist veterans,” he said.
He said in the past 28 hearses were distributed to different municipalities, but many of the vehicles were in poor condition and not working well.
He also asked that bereaved families not obligate drivers to transport the bodies of their dead relatives from hospital at night as this was not permitted under the law.
The government allocated funding for the purchase of the new hearses in the 2015 General Budget.
Member of Commission F (responsible for health, education, culture, veteran affairs and gender equality) MP Eladio Faculto said the purchase of the vehicles had been necessary due to the difficulties transporting bodies and remains for burial.
However, he called on the government to keep up with routine maintenance checks so that the vehicles remained in good working order.
In the past the government provided funding to purchase a number of vehicles, but they stopped working properly after only two or three years due to poor maintenance.
Faculto hoped that it the new cars would respond to community demands, particularly for transporting bodies to the cemetery.
