Chronicle Editor
Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
FUNERAL assurers in the country have managed to remain afloat despite the surge in deaths in the country owing to Covid-19 which has left many assuming the service providers would collapse from being overwhelmed with demand for services on a daily basis.
The country had been recording a number of Covid-19 related deaths daily since last year in addition to deaths from other ailment and incidences
Zimbabwe Association of Funeral Assurers general manager Mr Taka Svosve said the association was ensuring service provision was being done expeditiously despite the current state of affairs.
“Funeral assurers are doing their best in regards to meeting their contractual obligations with policyholders despite the increasing constraints caused by the surge in Covid-19 deaths since the beginning of the year. All claims are being met despite the cause of death,” he said.
At one point some service providers stopped the use of buses to ferry mourners to rural areas or anywhere around as Covid-19 cases were increasing.
However, Mr Svosve said they did not want to deprive policy holders of their benefits which they may have spent years contributing towards getting decent burials.
“Where certain services cannot be provided because of Covid-19 regulations cash in lieu of such service is provided by the assurer so there is no loss whatsoever to policyholders. Otherwise, all services are provided whenever practicable and safe,” he said.
He however, said the sector has been experiencing delays in some instances to provide services as they adhere to Government protocols in handling deaths during the pandemic.
“With the Covid-19 pandemic all deaths being handled by funeral parlors are treated as potentially Covid-19 deaths and strict handling procedures have to be followed involving more stakeholders than before and this leads to delays.
“Special protective clothing and equipment also have to be made available and this is coming at a significant cost yet premiums have not changed,” added Mr Svosve.
He however, said there is now an urgent need for the Government to partner with funeral assurers in infrastructure development as they have seen the challenge of not having these synergies earlier enough.
“While funeral assurers have always invested in service assets needed to meet policyholder claims, the advent of Covid-19 pandemic has shown that more planning in terms of infrastructure like mortuaries and even burial space need to be considered urgently since nobody knows when and how this will end and what else may befall us in the future. As an industry we are even calling upon the Government to strategically partner with funeral parlors for related infrastructure development for use in case the current situation develops into a catastrophe and also for any future eventualities that require such level of preparedness,” he said.
@NyembeziMu
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