The hospital church at the Vrinevis Hospital in Norrköping has changed several of its guidelines during the corona pandemic for relatives who want to say a final farewell to a person who has died.

All relatives now have to wear hospital clothes during the farewell in the Farewell Room. There is a maximum limit for how many people can leave. You must also not touch the relatives - this applies regardless of the cause of death.

Same guidelines for everyone

- We from the hospital church often do not know the cause of death. We only know that relatives want to come and say goodbye to someone who has died. That is why we have the same guidelines for everyone, ”says Sara Vestman, hospital priest at the Vrina Hospital.

She says it can feel tough for many relatives.

- It is very difficult not to pat his mother, father, grandmother or his child. It hurts, but that's how it is. This is because we need to dismiss as few people as possible. We do not want more people to get sick or die from this virus.

"Not for the last hours"

This is extra difficult as many people have died in housing for the elderly during the ban on visits.

- The difficult thing now is that the relatives may not have been allowed to attend during the last hours or the last hour, due to a visitor ban. That is why it is especially important to say goodbye now. We are grateful that we can offer this opportunity, ”says Sara Vestman.

In the video above you can follow along in the farewell room and Sara Vestman tells about the routines during the corona pandemic.