Death certificates of those who die of Covid to be given separately

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: From now onwards, the death certificate of a person who died due to Covid can be obtained from the nearby primary health centre (PHC). The death certificate will be handed over by the health department under the name of Covid death declaration document.

Normally, there are no provisions to record the cause of death in the death certificate obtained from the local bodies. Hence there will be two death certificates for a person who dies of Covid.

Family members of the deceased should possess this certificate from the PHC to avail the benefits. They can get the certificate from there within a month of submitting the application. There is no need to go to the hospital or local body for this.

The state will soon issue a guideline as per the central directive to include deaths and suicides that happened within 30 days from being diagnosed with Covid in the Covid death list.

As per official figures, the state has recorded nearly 25,000 Covid deaths. When the new standard is added, there will be an increase of about 40 percent.

Procedure

• In case of death while undergoing treatment, the treating doctor or medical superintendent will prepare a bulletin stating the cause of death.
• Information and documents will be uploaded on the e-Health portal
• The District Medical Officer must check and confirm this within 24 hours
• The State Level Committee should examine and approve this report
• District Medical Officers will download the certificate from the same portal and sign and seal it
• It will be delivered to primary health centers. Relatives can check and correct any mistakes.