Death threats issued against funeral directors association president, deputy

Death threats have reportedly been issued against the president of the Jamaica Association of Certified Embalmers and Funeral Directors, Calvin Lyn and vice-president Patrick Williams.

In a statement Friday, an association spokesperson said, Lyn and Williams were informed by the police about the threats on Thursday.

The association spokesperson said the police reported that intelligence suggests the threats are coming from informal, untrained funeral operators who are accusing the association leadership of planning to keep them out of the mortuary business.   

"The association has no plans or the power to bar anyone, it is merely supporting the Ministry of Health’s pending regulations," the spokesperson said. "The regulation will not only bring back decency to the industry but also prevent the outbreak of any epidemic."

The association spokesperson said there have complaints from ministers of religion that when they are conducting funerals with services provided by untrained operators, the remains of the deceased have had to be placed outside of the church because of obnoxious odour and flies.

And the association said this is a threat to public health.

"When one is trained in mortuary science, you have knowledge of how to use the various chemicals to embalm and  prepare the remains of the deceased persons, to enable you to provide the best method of preservation," the spokesperson said.

The association maintains that there is enough opportunity for all trained mortuary operators.

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