Hong Kong lawmaker urges simpler post-death arrangements amid mortuary fee outcry
Edward Lau advocates one-stop service for death registration, hospital documents and cremation after introduction of mortuary fees
Hong Kong authorities should improve mortuary services and streamline procedures for death registration and cremation arrangements to ease pressure on mortuaries, according to a lawmaker.
Edward Lau Kwok-fan’s remarks on Monday followed the government’s decision to end free storage of bodies in public mortuaries, which sparked controversy and led to an extension of the original proposed three-day exemption of charges to four weeks.
Lau said on a radio show that the government was receptive to advice from society but should still offer more flexibility to the bereaved, such as allowing those with a valid reason to delay collecting bodies.
He also called for the establishment of a one-stop platform to handle procedures for obtaining documents from public hospitals, registering deaths at the Immigration Department and arranging cremation services.
“The government can take the opportunity to set up a one-stop platform and simplify the process so that the bereaved do not need to run around in pain,” he said, adding that it could also list other help offered by NGOs.
Lau added that the government should be more attuned to future changes in public charges and look into the reasons for delays in collecting bodies.