The recently-established Ra Chamber of Commerce and Industry has drawn up plans for its second major project, an 18-chamber mortuary stationed near the Rakiraki Hospital.
Its first project was an infusion unit worth more than $2000.
Chamber president Latchman Gounden hopes the $250,000 mortuary project would involve the whole community.
“We’re getting the vanua involved, the Ra Provincial Council, all the churches, business community, all the Ramayan Mandali, basically anybody and everybody who wants to participate,” he said.
“We’ve got two big donors at the moment, one is GS Raj Group, then we’ve got Duadua Beach Resort, also giving $25,000, then we’ve got Smart Apparel.”
Mr Gounden said the chamber would import all the freezer units for the project.
“We will facilitate the whole project, but it’s a people’s project, and once the project is ready, then it gets handed over to the Government, so it belongs to Rakiraki Hospital.”
The Rakiraki Hospital does not have a mortuary at present.
“Just a couple of weeks ago, we had a seminar here and the senior divisional medical officer told us they’ve got no body storage facility at all,” Mr Gounden said, adding the chamber is looking for more donors to fund the project.
He said a groundbreaking ceremony would be conducted once approval is granted by the Health Ministry.