BALI, INDONESIA, August 20, 2021 (Biology Reporter): The President of the Indonesian Parisada Hindu Dharma Association (Indonesian Hindu Society), Justi Ngurah Sudiyana, said that cremation of the dead due to COVID-19 should be done as soon as possible by medical personnel, according to epidemic protocols. He added that funerals should be held with family members, but without traditional rituals that are too colorful and often attract crowds of onlookers. Many local families decided to perform an expensive burial for their loved ones, known as Najabain. The entire ritual, with the participation of music including the funeral procession, can last up to several days. During it, mounds built in the form of temples or mythical animals are used, and the body is dressed in traditional clothing before cremation. It takes a long time to organize and pay for the ceremonies, and the bodies are often buried temporarily.
Sudiana urged the Bali provincial government and the family to be rational, reduce the momentum of funerals and keep the bodies in hospital cold stores for a maximum of two days. He emphasized that due to overcrowding, the island’s mortuary could no longer accept more bodies, many of which remained there due to the long preparation time for burial. Bali has seen an average of about 1,000 cases per day and dozens of deaths. In mid-August, one of the largest hospitals in Denpasar, the provincial capital, reported that it held 71 of them in a mortuary with a capacity of 31 bodies, and that staff were forced to say no to several other families on a daily basis.
https://www.biologyreporter.com/indonesia-balis-morgue-is-overcrowded-clerics-appeal-to-residents