DOH revises regulations for disposing of dead persons

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health (DOH) yesterday revised the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for disposing of dead persons by increasing the list of dangerous communicable diseases that could have infected them.

In Administrative Order 0033, the DOH included five new diseases that need documentary requirements for the deceased to be transported from the place of death to burial or cremation.

These are hepatitis B and C, rabies, invasive group A streptococcal infections, transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (e.g. Creutzfeldt-Jakob diseases and mad cow disease) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

Those in the old list are HIV/AIDS, meningococcemia, viral hemorrhagic fevers (e.g. African Ebolas, Lassa or Murburg), yellow fever, plague and other communicable diseases that shall be declared by the DOH.

“It is recognized that viral hemorrhagic fever, yellow fever, plague and SARS are not found in the Philippines at this time but they may be brought in at any time by travelers,” the order stated.

Dr. Yolanda Oliveros, head executive assistant of Health Secretary Enrique Ona, said a technical working group was created to study which diseases should be included in the list.

The revised IRR is in line with the Code of Sanitation of the Philippines and “shall adopt, among others, the current trends and modern practices of embalming towards competence and globally competitiveness of the profession, hence, improve the quality of health service delivery.”

The order showed that “when the cause of death is dangerous communicable disease, the remains shall be placed in a plastic cadaver or other durable, airtight container at the point of death and biohazard tag attached, provided that this container shall not be opened for viewing or any other purpose prior to burial or cremation.”

The revised guidelines also empower the regional health director or his duly authorized representative to monitor, implement and enforce sanitary rules and regulations, “including violation or regulations against residing inside the cemetery premises.”

“Violations thereof shall be ground for closure and revocation of the permit if the deficiencies are not corrected within a specific time period,” the order showed.