Dubai: Dubai Municipality has revoked a rule that stopped the inter-emirate ambulance service for transporting bodies embalmed in Dubai, putting an end to delays and difficulties faced by many families who wished to fly bodies from Sharjah.
The move follows a report in Gulf News that highlighted the plight of families who were denied the permission to fly home the bodies of their dear ones from Sharjah airport.
Quoting social workers, the report published in August had pointed out the need for revoking the new rule that mainly affected Dubai, Sharjah, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah since all these emirates depend on the DHA (Dubai Health Authority) facility in Al Muhaisnah for embalming the bodies.
Indian social workers Ashraf Thamarassery and C.P. Mathew who blew the whistle on the matter told this paper that the cemetery services section in Al Ghusais is now providing ambulance service to transport expats’ mortal remains to Sharjah airport, which is often preferred by families to fly the bodies.
Following the report in Gulf News, they said, a senior official with Sharjah Police also took up the matter with Dubai Municipality officials concerned.
“We have not had complaints related to transferring bodies embalmed in Dubai to Sharjah airport in Dubai Municipality ambulance of late,” said Thamarassery, an Ajman-based social worker and businessman who has been honoured by the Indian government for his selfless service in repatriating thousands of deceased expats from the UAE.
“We were waiting and watching if it will be stopped in between. But it has been going smooth for the past couple of months,” he said.
Mathew said the Dubai Municipality is transferring embalmed bodies to Sharjah airport without taking any extra fee. “They have not changed the service fee of Dh220 which is charged for transporting the body to Dubai airport.”
When contacted, a senior Dubai Municipality official, who did not wish to be named, confirmed that the rule was revoked after officials realised that it was causing difficulties to grieving family members.
Thamarassery and Mathew thanked the civic body for paying heed to their request to revoke the rule.
The cemetery services section under the Public Health Services department had stopped the ambulance service, which is the only means of transporting embalmed bodies, to airports in other emirates citing that their jurisdiction was limited to Dubai.
The social workers had also claimed that they were not allowed to use Sharjah Municipality’s ambulance to take the bodies from Dubai to Sharjah after embalming, leaving Dubai airport the only option for repatriating the bodies.
This had caused delays and inconveniences in repatriating the bodies when there was no direct flight to the hometown of the deceased from Dubai, when flights were overbooked, when there was no cargo space for coffins, and when families preferred to fly from Sharjah due to cheaper ticket rates.
