The Central Board of Health (CBH) has issued a fresh public appeal for relatives of a deceased Grays Farm Village woman to come forward and arrange her burial, cautioning that government intervention is imminent if no family member responds.
According to Antigua.news, the notice was issued through the Office of the Chief Health Inspector, identifying the deceased as Silvie Martin, who passed away on April 4, 2026. Her body currently remains unclaimed and is being held at Barnes Funeral Home on American Road.
CBH is calling on family members or next of kin to contact Jessica Barnes, Managing Director of Barnes Funeral Home Limited, at 462-1037 to make private burial arrangements.
Relatives have 14 days from the publication of the appeal to come forward. Should no family member step forward within that window, the government will proceed with interment at a public cemetery without further notice. The CBH also cautioned that once the government burial has taken place, legal recourse on the matter will no longer be available.
The appeal underscores a challenge that health authorities say has grown increasingly common in recent years, with the CBH repeatedly finding itself calling on families to claim the remains of deceased relatives and fulfil their burial responsibilities.
The CBH stated it is seeking the cooperation and understanding of affected families as it manages what it described as a sensitive and delicate matter.
