The Center has told the Supreme Court that the Ministry of Health and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) have come out with guidelines for issuing “official documents” for Covid-related deaths.
In an affidavit filed before the top court, the Center also said that the Office of the Registrar General of India had issued a circular on September 3 to the next of kin of the deceased to provide medical certificate of the cause of death.
“It is submitted that the guidelines and circular dated June 30, 2021, WP(c) No. 554 of Reapak Kansal v. Union of India et al., 2021 and Gaurav Kumar Bansal v. Union of India and others, WP(c) No. 2021 of 539,” the court said.
According to the guidelines, those COVID-19 Such cases will be considered which have been diagnosed through RT-PCR test, molecular test, rapid-antigen test or clinically determined through examination at hospital or in inpatient facility during hospitalization or hospitalization. has been done.
The guidelines state that deaths due to poisoning, suicide, homicide and accidental deaths will not be considered as COVID-19 deaths, even if COVID-19 co-occurring conditions Be.
“COVID-19 cases which have not resolved and died either in a hospital setting or at home, and where required under section 10 to be submitted to the registering authority in Forms 4 and 4A of Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) ) has been issued. As per the guidelines of the Registration of Births and Deaths (RBD) Act, 1969, will be treated as a COVID-19 death.
The Registrar General of India will issue necessary guidelines in this regard to the Chief Registrars of all the States and Union Territories.
According to an ICMR study, 95 per cent of deaths occur within 25 days of a person testing COVID-19 positive, it was mentioned in the guidelines.
“In order to broaden this scope and be more inclusive, deaths occurring within 30 days from the date of testing or from the date of medical diagnosis as a COVID-19 case shall be classified as ‘deaths due to COVID-19’. Even if the death occurs outside the hospital/patient facility,” the guidelines stated.
However, a COVID-19 patient, while admitted to a hospital or inpatient facility, and who continued as a single admission for more than 30 days, died later , he will be treated as a COVID-19 death as per the guidelines.
The guidelines stated that in cases where the MCCD is not available or the kin of the deceased is not satisfied with the cause of death given in the MCCD and which is not covered in the above scenarios, the states and union territories shall inform a committee. at district level.
The committee will consist of an additional district collector, chief medical officer of health (CMOH), an additional CMOH/principal or head of the medical department of the medical college (if one exists in the district) and a subject expert. The guidelines state, “Official Documents for COVID-19 Deaths”.
The guidelines also enumerate the procedure to be followed by the committee. It said the relatives of the deceased would file a petition to the district collector for release of the documents.
“The official documents for COVID-19 death in the format annexed to these guidelines will be issued by the above district-level committee after due scrutiny and verification of all the facts. The official document of COVID-19 death shall also be communicated to the Chief Registrars of States/UTs and Registrar of Births and Deaths, who issued the death certificate,” said one of the guidelines.
The committee will also examine the grievances of the next of kin of the deceased, and propose necessary remedial measures including issuance of revised “official document for COVID-19 death” after verifying the facts as per these guidelines.
Applications for issuance of documents and redressal of grievances will be disposed of within 30 days of submission of application/complaint.
In its June 30 judgment, the top court had also ordered steps to simplify guidelines for issuance and rectification of death certificates/official documents, stating the exact cause of death, which are dependents. To achieve is ‘Death due to Covid-19’. Benefits of welfare schemes.
The apex court’s decision came on two separate petitions filed by advocates Ripak Kansal and Gaurav Kumar Bansal, seeking a direction to the Center and states to pay a compensation of Rs 4 lakh to the families of the victims. coronavirus Provision has been made to the victims under the Act.
Four interventionists who lost their family members due to COVID have also moved the apex court through advocate Sumir Sodhi, contending that payments are being made to the family members of those people by various states. No discrimination can be made in the amount, who succumbed to the deadly infection. .
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