Centre submits fresh guidelines in Supreme Court on Covid-19 death certificates

Loss of life due to poisoning, suicide, homicide, or accident will not be considered as Covid deaths even if the disease is an accompanying condition

The Union government has told the Supreme Court that it has issued "broader and more inclusive" guidelines, declaring loss of lives within 30 days from the date of having been clinically determined, would be treated as deaths due to Covid-19.

"As per the study by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 95% deaths take place within 25 days of being tested Covid-19 positive. To make the scope broader and more inclusive, deaths occurring within 30 days from the date of testing will be treated as deaths due to Covid-19, even if the death takes place outside the hospital/ in-patient facility," it said.

However, the death of a Covid-19 patient in hospital even after 30 days of having tested positive will be treated as Covid-19 death, it said.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the Indian Council of Medical Research jointly issued guidelines for issuance of an ‘official document’ for Covid-19 related deaths.

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According to the fresh guidelines, loss of life due to poisoning, suicide, homicide, or accident will not be considered as Covid-19 deaths even if the disease is an accompanying condition.

"For the purpose of these guidelines, Covid-19 cases are those which are diagnosed through a positive RT-PCR/ Molecular Tests/ RAT or clinically determined through investigations in a hospital/ in-patient facility by a treating physician, while admitted in the hospital/ in-patient facility," it added.

Covid-19 cases which are not resolved and patients have died either in hospital settings or at home, and where a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) has been issued to the registering authority, will be treated as a Covid-19 death. Registrar General of India (RGI) will issue necessary guidelines to Chief Registrars of all States and Union Territories in this regard, it stated.

The guidelines also directed the states and UTs to notify a committee at the district level consisting of Additional District Collector, Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH), Additional CMOH/ Principal or HOD Medicine of a Medical College and a subject expert, for issuance of the official document for Covid-19 death in case certificate is not available or kin of the deceased are not satisfied with the cause of death mentioned in the certificate.

Such committee would examine the grievance of the kin on their petition and dispose of the matter within 30 days.

The government submitted its guidelines through an affidavit in compliance with the apex court's order issued on September 3 following a judgement passed on June 30 on petitions filed by advocates Reepak Kansal and Gaurav Kumar Bansal.

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