Prolonged waiting complicates an already difficult period for relatives.
Church congregations in some regions of Finland are facing problems with storing the bodies of the deceased. In the worst case, cremation may be delayed for several weeks.
Cremation is becoming increasingly popular, leading to a significant increase in queues at crematoriums. In the North Savo region, for example, the wait is usually about a month, but recently the timelines have stretched for several additional weeks. For instance, three years ago, the Kuopio parish cremated about 40% of the deceased, while this year that figure has reached 60%. Delays result in additional expenses for relatives.
The Kuopio crematorium primarily serves the residents of its parish and then accepts the deceased from other parishes. Since the crematorium operates over a large area, morgues in small towns are becoming overcrowded.
The property manager of the Kuopio parish, Juha Moilanen, admits that the situation is critical:
– The queues for cremation have reached an unacceptable length.
The Kuopio crematorium is equipped with one furnace, which allows for the cremation of about 1,800 people per year.
In the new crematorium building, opened a couple of years ago, there is space for a second furnace, but its installation is not currently planned. According to Moilanen, it would cost about 1.8 million euros.
Relatives Have to Pay Extra
In the municipality of Suonenjoki, backup options have already been developed in case of overcrowded morgues. In case of a shortage of space, bodies can be stored in the morgue of the neighboring parish of Rautalampi or in the local clinic.
The use of refrigerated containers is also being considered, says the financial director of the Suonenjoki parish, Auli Soininen.
In Suonenjoki, prolonged storage increases the costs for relatives regarding the burial of their loved ones.
– The storage fee for the body is charged daily. It varies for different families, – explains Soininen.
However, the church association, which includes Iisalmi and surrounding parishes, does not charge for the waiting time for cremation, reports property manager Hannu Huttunen. According to him, the long wait complicates an already difficult period for relatives.
– The time of mourning is prolonged, and people are unable to complete all the necessary arrangements within the timeframes they had hoped for.
A New Crematorium Planned in North Karelia
The issue of storing bodies is also acute in North Karelia. This spring, the regional health service built additional refrigeration chambers at the central hospital. The Evangelical Lutheran church association of Joensuu is preparing to build a new crematorium.
The existing crematorium is located at the Joensuu cemetery near the Ristinkappeli chapel, but its capacity is insufficient. Additionally, the crematorium requires the installation of a modern filtration system, which is technically impossible in the existing building.
It is planned to demolish the old building and construct a new crematorium with a chapel in its place.
Administrative director Tommi Mäki explains that the Ristinkappeli chapel, built in 1989, is in such poor condition that its renovation is economically unfeasible.
According to Mäki, the capacity of the new crematorium will be almost twice that of the current one.
Last year, 1,047 deceased were cremated in Joensuu. Over the past ten years, this figure has doubled.
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