Why Ghana Mortuary Workers Ask the Dead for Permission Before Bathing and Embalming

• Ewurabena Quartey, a manager at Jabez Dominic Funeral Home in Ghana, says mortuary workers knock before entering as a sign of respect for the deceased
• She explained that staff sometimes speak to the dead and ask permission before bathing, touching or embalming their bodies
• Quartey compared the practice to “last offices”, the care procedures healthcare workers perform after a patient dies

A Ghanaian mortuary manager has explained why workers at her funeral home knock before entering the mortuary, saying respect for the deceased should continue even after death.

Ewurabena Quartey, a manager at Jabez Dominic Funeral Home, shared the practice during an interview with Roselyn Feli, offering insight into the professional and ethical principles that guide her team's work.

According to Quartey, knocking is more than a routine gesture. It reflects the belief that people who have died deserve dignity and consideration throughout the preparation of their bodies for burial.

Quartey explained that knocking before entering the mortuary is similar to knocking on someone's bedroom door before going inside.

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She said the gesture signals an intention to enter and reflects the respect workers maintain when handling the deceased.

"Knocking is just like entering somebody's room. If you are entering, you just have to make a signal, something to make them aware that somebody's at the door, entering, and we are maintaining respect. The fact that they are dead doesn't mean that respect has to end, no," she explained.

Her comments highlight the importance of dignity in mortuary work, where professionals handle people who can no longer speak for themselves or express their wishes.

Morticians ask permission before bathing and embalming bodies

Quartey said the same principle guides how staff approach the preparation of a body.

Before bathing or embalming a deceased person, workers may speak to them and ask permission before beginning. Although they do not expect a response, she said the practice helps staff approach their work as an act of care.

"We take it as if we are caring for them. You see, we have people aged, especially being bedridden; picture it in that way. When we are touching that person, you would ask for permission before you touch them, though we are not going to get any particular response," Quartey said.

She compared the approach to a procedure used in healthcare settings after a patient dies.

"Before we do the embalming or the bathing, we ask them for permission. So, there's something called last offices when you work in the hospital. So, nurses and health practitioners are aware of this. They do it for anybody who passes on in their facilities," she added.

Last offices refers to the care and preparation provided to a person's body after death in a healthcare setting. The procedures are intended to preserve dignity and prepare the deceased for the next stages of care as reported by YEN News.

Mortician explains the importance of privacy after death

Quartey also discussed the responsibility mortuary workers have when handling a person's body and private features.

She noted that staff may encounter scars, deformities and other physical details that the deceased might not have wanted others to see during their lifetime.

For her, acknowledging the sensitivity of this work helps reinforce the importance of confidentiality and discretion.

"You just have to speak to the person, make the person understand that you are going to see the nakedness of the person because you are going to strip them totally open. You just say something simple in your head. I'm coming to see something I'm not supposed to see," she said.

Quartey explained that the practice also creates a sense of responsibility between the worker and the deceased, reminding staff that what they see while preparing a body should remain private.

"Some of them come with deformities, scars you are not supposed to see. Yes, so coming to see all those things, you are making sure that whatever you see stays there, so something like a bond you are coming to have with them," she added.

Her account offers a glimpse into the less visible aspects of mortuary work, where professional responsibilities extend beyond preparing bodies for burial to preserving the dignity, privacy and respect owed to the deceased.

The YouTube video is below:

Kenyan mortuary attendant explains why he knocks before opening doors

TUKO.co.ke reported that a Kenyan mortuary attendant attracted attention after a video showed him knocking on cubicle doors before entering, explaining that the gesture was a sign of respect for the deceased.

His actions drew praise from social media users, some of whom viewed the practice as a culturally rooted way of honouring the dead.

The incident sparked discussion about how mortuary workers maintain dignity when handling bodies.

Source: TUKO.co.ke