Fresh Covid death certificate must be given in one month: HC to TN

Fresh Covid death certificate must be given in one month: HC to TN

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:17.09.2021

If a death due to Covid-19 is not recorded in the death certificate itself, an additional certificate should be made available within a month of the death, the Madras high court has said.

The first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice P D Audikesavalu made the observation on Thursday while disposing of a batch of PILs alleging that the cause of death wais not being appropriately recorded in death certificates, particularly in case of deaths caused by the pandemic.

When the plea came up for hearing, government pleader P Muthukumar submitted a status report on behalf of the principal secretary, health and family welfare department.

In the report, the officer referred to the guidelines issued for Covid deaths by the Union health ministry pursuant to orders of the Supreme Court.

It was indicated that based on the guidelines, the state government has instructed all collectors to form district level committees, consisting of the additional district collector, the chief medical officer, and the dean or joint director of medical and rural health services in addition to an expert, for the issuance of the official document in the format as suggested by the Union.

Recording the submission, the bench said: “It is hoped that the guidelines are strictly adhered to and the district level committee should ensure that in case of deaths which have happened on or prior to August 31, the appropriate certificates in accordance with the relevant guidelines are issued by October 31.”In the event the certificates are not issued within time or on some other untenable excuse, it will be open to the individuals affected thereby to raise the grievance before the appropriate forum in accordance with law., the court added.

‘Approach local health authorities for official document for Covid-19 death’

Chennai:

People can approach local health authorities for an “official document for Covid-19 death”, the directorate of public health said on Thursday. After orders from the Madras high court, the state health department said applicants will be given copies of forms that contain certification of deaths by doctors along with cause details. “The certificates issued by the government will not carry cause of death. But people can take a copy of doctors’ certification which will have these details,” said director of public health Dr TS Selvavinayagam, who is also the registrar of births and deaths for the state. “Health officials are following protocols declared by the centre in the declaration of Covid-19 deaths,” he said. If people want to dispute the reports issued by hospitals or doctors regarding kin’s death, they can lodge complaints to the district collectors. If district reconciliation committee thinks the death should be entered into Covid registry, it will make its recommendation, he said. TNN