Knokke-Heist (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Dela collaborates with AZ Zeno hospitals to collect deceased patients’ bodies. The €75 payment is described as an expense reimbursement, not a purchase, the company confirmed.
As VRT News reported, the funeral company Dela works with AZ Zeno hospitals in Knokke-Heist and Blankenberge to collect the bodies of patients when families have not yet appointed a funeral director. The hospitals call Dela to handle deceased patients quickly. This type of arrangement is not unusual.
Many hospitals and care facilities no longer have their own mortuary and rely on local funeral homes. Families can later choose a different funeral director if they wish, but most remain with the original service called by the hospital.
What is the reason for Dela’s €75 allowance at AZ Zeno Knokke-Heist?
Funebra, the Belgian funeral industry association, confirmed that families often stick with the funeral director first appointed. Reports indicate Dela pays around £75 per body, which has led to concerns that the practice could appear like the company is “buying” bodies from the hospitals. Dela is also called in quickly, within 4 hours of a patient’s death, while Funebra recommends allowing up to 12 hours before intervention.
Wim Delplace of Dela reacted with emotion to the article. “I want to emphasise how important it is for us to deal with the deceased and their families professionally and ethically. We also guarantee that relatives have the freedom to choose a different funeral home afterwards. We’ve never had any problems with that in the past. Our intentions are pure, and we find it extremely regrettable that we’re attracting attention in this way.”
Delplace explained that transferring the body to the mortuary quickly ensures it can be preserved under proper conditions. He said that prompt handling helps maintain both safety and dignity. The £75 paid per body is intended as an expense allowance to cover costs related to rapid transfer and mortuary services, not as a profit.
“The hospital is responsible for the initial care of the deceased, handles administrative tasks, provides a shroud, and accommodates the deceased in a room while awaiting our arrival. It’s normal for these costs to be passed on.”
Recent reports show that other funeral directors do not receive the same allowance for similar services. Delplace said he was unaware of this difference and could not clarify why it applies only to his company.
“We’ve never questioned that arrangement because it seems logical to us. I don’t know what the arrangements are with other funeral companies.”
Starting in 2015, multiple hospitals and nursing homes across Belgium have been engaging local funeral homes to conduct mortuary duties for the deceased, including AZ Zeno and Blankenberge. This outsourcing is due to hospitals lacking their own mortuary.
Families had been previously provided with additional time to hire a funeral home, but as time passed, hospitals would reach out to a funeral home sooner to guarantee that the preservation of the body complied. By 2020, this practice had become the norm in hospitals in Flanders.
