Repatriation
What You Should Do during Repatriation of Deceased Body
Repatriation of the body of a loved one can be challenging at some point especially when you don’t understand the Repatriation process. Secondly, it involves a lot of paperwork especially if the deceased didn’t have travel documentation to show the country of origin or came into the country without following the proper procedures.
The process might also vary from one nation to another, and therefore it is important to think what can be done. In some airports, you might require that a death certificate of the deceased is issued before Repatriation. Here are some tips on how the Repatriation process should be carried out.
Consult an Experienced Funeral Director
It is advisable that you consult a funeral director to help you with the Repatriation process. This is because the funeral directors specialise in such matters and they know which offices are to be consulted. Even better, a funeral director will help you in preparation of papers since you need to have adequate documentation.
Let a Close Family Member Work with the Funeral Director
The funeral director might request some assistance from the family members, and therefore they need to be present so as to help in the Repatriation process especially where it involves identification of the deceased person. Remember that in cases where the deceased didn’t have a family member living with him, you might be required to do a DNA test to prove that the body identified is the right one. Therefore, make sure that one of the family members is available to help in such cases.
Work with the Embassy Office
To some extent, the embassy office will help you in Repatriation. This is mostly in the matters concerning legal issues like illegal migration. Therefore it is important that you seek assistance through the foreign affairs office. The family can raise the issue locally so that the ministry office works in coordination with the embassy to have the body preserved well as the other matters are being handled diplomatically. Remember that the Repatriation process might be faced with delays in cases where there are illegal issues suspected. Therefore before beginning the burial plans at the home country you need to wait for those issues to be cleared. This will help to avoid waste of resources.
Let a Certified Doctor Conduct a Postmortem and Issue a Statement
In some cases, the family members might require having a statement showing the cause of death. Therefore you can consult a certified doctor to issue a postmortem of the dead body to ascertain the cause of death and issue a statement. Remember you will also need a certificate of death during the Repatriation process and especially at the airports. The airlines have their expectations, and you must be aware of them before moving the body to the airport.
The process of Repatriation is sometimes stressing because of the lengthy procedures. Even worse, the cost might be high to the family forcing them to strain. It is advisable to choose a local funeral director to help in the process.