Contents of Administrative procedures - Department of Health

Procedure Issuing certificate of health quarantine for corpse, body ash, bones
Process

Step 1: Individual submits dossier to border health quarantine unit at border gate


Step 2: Quarantine unit receives and checks the dossier


Step 3: Quarantine unit conducts a reality check

 

1. Entry


1.1. For  corpse


Medical quarantine officers check the “Health Quarantine Declaration of Corpse, Body Ash, Bones” under form promulgated with Decision No. 171/2003/QD-BYT dated January 13, 2003 of Minister of Health regulating badges, uniforms, flags, medical quarantine officer's card, and 11 paper forms used in border medical quarantine system of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam; check the death certificate, health quarantine certificate of the host country, check the actual situation of the coffin to determine and handle as follows:


a) For human corpses of those who are infected with diseases, it will be cremated or buried. In cases of broken coffins, the corpses should be handled promptly in order to prevent any potential spread of diseases before transportation to the place of crematoria or burial. Transportation of human corpses to the place of crematoria or burial will be conducted:


- Coffins and coffins storage will be sterilized with chemicals before transportation to the place of crematoria or burial by specialized cars, if there are no such cars are available, other cars may be utilized with assurance to the following conditions: the cars have to close tight, ensuring compliance with regulations of prevention of infection; drivers will be equipped in accordance with the laws; means of transport will be disinfected and decontaminated before and right after transportation of corpses with ordinary antiseptic chemicals.   


- Upon arrival of the place of crematoria or burial, the corpses will be left intact and the crematoria or burial will be carried out. In cases of crematoria, coffins will be sterilized with Chloramines B, T chemicals or powdered lime before filling up. Persons in charge of putting the body in a coffin will be fully equipped with health protection.


b) For human corpses of those who are not infected with diseases, it will be inspected in terms of corpse preservation. If the preservation complies with the laws (i.e. the corpse is shrouded in a 3-layer coffin, the inner layer is made of zinc with a desiccant lining, the middle layer is made of wood and the outer layer is made of plywood), it will be granted health permits on control of infectious diseases for entry of human corpses. If it fails to comply with the laws, responsible persons will be requested to comply with the laws before issuance of permits.


1.2. For human remains and ashes:


Health quarantine officials will check the “declaration of health quarantine of corpses, remains and ashes”, the health quarantine certificate of the host country and practical inspection of preservation specifications (the human corpses will be wrapped up with the 2 inner layers of plastic, then come a fabric bag and the outer layer will be sarcophagus; ashes will be preserved in sealed containers). After checking with all documents, ensuring compliance with preservation specifications, the border health quarantine agencies will issue quarantine certificates for entry of human corpses. If it fails to ensure the preservation specifications, responsible persons will be requested to comply with these regulations before issuance of such certificates.


2. Exit


2.1. Agencies in charge of border health quarantine do not implement exit procedures of human corpses of infected persons.


2.2. For human corpses with other reasons, agencies in charge of border health quarantine will issue health quarantine certificates for exit procedures upon their inspection of preservation specifications in accordance with the laws.


Step 4: Quarantine unit issues Health Quarantine Declaration for import, export of cargo.

Where to submit Individual submits dossier directly to health quarantine officer at the border gate.
Contents and number of the dossier

- “Health Quarantine Declaration of Corpse, Body Ash, Bones” under form promulgated with Decision No. 171/2003/QD-BYT dated January 13, 2003 of Minister of Health.


- Death certificates of the competent  authority (if any)


- Certificate of health quarantine of the host countries


Number of the dossier: no specified

Processing duration Immediately after receiving the complete and valid dossier
Objects Organizations/individuals
Competent agency Department of Health
Outcome Certificate
Fee Medical examinations for the corpse: US$ 20/each time, for bones: US$ 7/each time, for body ash: US$ 5/each time; Hygiene treatment for the corpse: US$ 40/each time; for bones: US$ 14/each time; medical examinations for medical microbiology sample, biological products, tissue, body parts: US$ 6.5/each time.
Form/Declaration

- Decision No. 171/2003/QD-BYT dated January 13, 2003 of Minister of Health regulating badges, uniforms, flags, medical quarantine officer's card, and 11 paper forms used in border medical quarantine system of Socialist Republic of Viet Nam.


- Government’s Decree No. 103/2010/ND-CP dated October 1, 2010, detailing a number of articles of the Law on Contagious Disease Prevention and Control regarding the border medical quarantine with effect from December 1, 2010.


- Circular No. 08/2014/TT-BTC dated January 15, 2014 of  the Ministry of Finance regulating the rates, regime of collecting and using the prophylactic medicines and medical quarantine charges.

Other requirements The preserving corpses method must ensure that the corpse was enshroud by three-layer coffin which has an innermost layer of zinc lined with hygroscopic substances, the middle layer of wood, outer layer of plywood. Organizations/individuals must have death certificate, mummified corpse certificate / certificate of cremation.
Legal basis

Health Quarantine Declaration of Corpse, Body Ash, Bones

Administrative procedures