A new office has been opened for simplifying procedures for the repatriation of the bodies of expatriates who die in Qatar and also for their local burial, if required.

All the administrative fees for various certificates and other documents for repatriation or burial in the country have been done away with.

The Humanitarian Services Office, located near the Hamad General Hospital Mortuary, was formally opened by Director General of Public Security HE Staff Major General Saad bin Jassim al-Khulaifi.

Besides the Ministry of Interior (MoI), which has played a key role in establishing the new office, the ministries of Public Health, Foreign Affairs, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), the General Authority of Customs, Public Prosecution and Qatar Airways are part of the facility.

The Humanitarian Services Office has officials from each of the three ministries and other institutions, and agencies serving under one roof, offering a host of services, seven days a week, from 7am to 9pm.

Now the relatives or others representing the deceased can complete the procedures in the new office, managed by the Unified Services Department of the MoI. Hitherto, many offices had to be visited to complete the procedures to repatriate the bodies or bury them locally.

The new set up, which is in fact a single window system, offers all services other than those handled by the local embassy of the country of the deceased.

While hailing the establishment of the new office later at a meeting held at the Civil Defence Club, Community Policing Department director Col Ahmed Zayed al-Mohannadi sought the co-operation of the embassies and representatives of different expatriate communities to accelerate the process of repatriation of the bodies.

Dr Saleh al-Marri of the Ministry of the Public Health said the new office came into being after the ministries concerned and other agencies carried out a detailed study. He also felt Qatar would be among the first countries to provide all services under a single roof for the repatriation of the bodies of expatriates.

The office also aims to promote humanitarian bonds with different community members by supporting them at times of distress.

At the new office, the procedures start from the Hamad Medical Corporation counter with the issuance of death certificate and feeding the data of the deceased in their records. The Ministry of Public Health verifies the data and issues mandatory certificates for completing the procedures of various departments of the MoI.

The Qatar Airways counter issues the cargo documents and the tickets for the passengers accompanying a body. Finally, the Consular Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs co-ordinates between the Office and embassy concerned for the issuance of the No Objection Certificate from the mission for repatriating the body outside the country.