Woman who 'cared for the dead' bids goodbye to Qatar
Publish Date: Monday,27 October, 2008, at 02:37 AM Doha Time
By Bonnie James
Eugenia (second left) being felicitated by Kohli, Dr Thomas and Dr Malini at
the ICBF function
AN INDIAN housewife who touched the lives of many over the past three
decades by leading a group of volunteers to dress up the dead at the
mortuary is leaving Qatar for good with fond memories.
Eugenia Dias, from the state of Goa, has not kept count of the bodies she
and her team have cleaned and dressed at Hamad Medical Corporation's morgue
since they started the charitable activity in 1977.
"We have cared for the dead from all over the world," the publicity-shy Doha
resident of 37 years told Gulf Times in her "first and last" interview to
any media organisation, as she put it.
Eugenia landed in Qatar in 1971 to join her husband Diogo C Dias, two years
after their marriage. The incident that inspired her to embark on the unique
mission occurred in 1977 in Doha.
"Three young Indians who went to play music at a wedding died in an
accident. All were in their early 20s, and one of them was our neighbour and
very good friend," she said while recalling the shock of seeing the bodies
lying in a pool of blood in the mortuary.
At that time there were two community members, Tony Fernandes and Agapito
Carvallo, who used to help in dressing the bodies, following in the
footsteps of a compatriot lady, Lydia D'Abreo.
"I had seen them doing this and said I would help them to prepare the bodies
for sending home and ever since I have been volunteering," stated Eugenia,
the mother of three grown-up sons and a college-going daughter.
When Tony and Agapito left the country, Eugenia and her team of fellow
Indians Nerry Alphonso, Francis Gonsalves, K M Sebastian, Molly Polly, Effie
D'Souza and Merlin Abreo took over the task to clean and dress the bodies of
all non-Muslims dying in Qatar.
There is a separate set-up to do the same for the Muslim community.
It is either the mortuary attendants, relatives of the dead, companies or as
in some cases, the embassies concerned who contact Eugenia and her team for
their voluntary services.
Usually the family or the employer provides the clothes while the rest of
the materials to clean the bodies are supplied by the hospital.
In order to keep the bodies from decomposing till they reach the respective
destinations, the hospital staff helps to inject them with formalin.
There are cases in which some bodies are covered in dirt and blood and
disfigured, especially as a result of accidents.
"We make sure that the bodies are very clean because when the family members
back home open the coffin they would have some consolation to see that their
loved one looks neat for the final journey," Eugenia said.
Though the social worker was never in the limelight and always kept a low
profile, a couple of honours came her way, a Papal medal from the late Pope
John Paul II in 1992 and an appreciation award from the Indian Community
Benevolent Fund (ICBF).
"I was selected for the Papal medal following a reference from the former
Parish priest of the Catholic Church in Qatar, Fr John Vanderlin, along with
Rocky Fernandes (another long-time Doha resident)," she recalled.
Asked why she was leaving Qatar for good, Eugenia replied: "It is high time
for me to go, I have stayed (here) for a long time."
She will join her daughter Tiziana who is studying in India.
Of her three sons, the eldest one Joseph and his family, and the youngest
Bashrie are Doha residents, whereas the second son Nezi and his family are
in Canada.
"My team members have assured me that they will continue our work even after
my departure from Qatar," Eugenia stated.
The social worker pointed out that she would not have been able to undertake
her mission but for the wholehearted support of her family.
"Diogo and our children have never complained, even when I had to buy food
from outside because of my schedule," she gratefully recalled.
Diogo said he had always been happy with his wife's voluntary activities and
encouraged her. "We are proud of her," was how Bashrie summed up his
sentiments for his mother.
"Fr John always used to say he would not thank me, but Diogo instead,
because without his support I would not be able to accomplish what I was
doing," Eugenia said.
"I was very happy in Doha, I will always keep the memories of my life here,
and I really thank all the people who loved me and will keep them in my
prayers," she added.
The social worker was honoured by the ICBF at a meeting at Birla Public
School on Friday. ICBF president Dr Mohan Thomas reminisced that he had the
opportunity to work with the team many times.
"Eugenia reconstructs the mutilated body of the people from road accidents
looking at their old photographs, with the skills and precision of a plastic
surgeon," he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Eugenia hoped she and her team were able to live
up to the expectations of the community.
Indian embassy Minister (Political) Sanjiv Kohli presented a memento to
Eugenia. ICBF's medical council member Dr Malini Chandrasekharan was also
present.
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