Director of Public Health of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Florence Kuukyi has called on government to include the Covid-19 burial team as beneficiaries of the package for frontline health workers.

This comes after a member of the team tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Speaking on Accra-based radio station, she noted that the work comes with a lot of risks, therefore, government must give them the needed attention.

“When we are going for the test, we make calls and we are redirected to other places. That frustrates us. So we are just sitting down here without knowing our next step.

“At the beginning of this Covid-19 fight, we all thought there will be insurance cover for anyone who contracts the virus and dies in the line of work but here is the case, we don’t even know who to go to which makes our work disheartening,” she stated.

She complained about the poor treatment they receive despite the risks involved in their work.

She added, “a lot of attention has been given to our colleagues at the creative side. The same thing should be given to those of us at the preventive side.

“We are sitting here, if someone dies in the house, they will call us to go and take the body without even knowing the cause of death. We have been collecting dead bodies from the roadside since this Covid-19 fight began putting ourselves in danger but it seems all these things are not seen. So if attention is given to others, we also deserve some attention.”

Already, some members the burial team have expressed frustration over inadequate motivation.

So at the weekly burial at the Awudome cemetery on Thursay, they appealed to government to honour its promise.

“They have paid doctors and nurses in this Covid-19 fight. They have been paid all the allowances they deserve. But those of us doing the burials, look at us; [we’ve received] nothing.”

“Since March, they have not given us a pesewa,” a member of the burial team said.

They then threatened to quit its duties if attacks on them by families of persons who die as a result of coronavirus do not cease.