Madras HC asks Tamil Nadu govt to submit report on Covid …

The Madras High Court on Friday asked the Tamil Nadu government to submit by June 28 a preliminary report on the total number of deaths related to Covid-19 being reported in the state.

The Madras High Court sought the report while hearing a case in which it was alleged that many Covid-19 positive patients' deaths in hospitals were passed off as deaths due to lung or heart diseases and not Covid particularly. Concerns were raised over the matter as this has led to families of many victims not being able to avail monitory relief.

The high court said that across the country, there are several reports alleging that Covid-19 deaths are not being recorded properly in Tamil Nadu.

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The court observed that only accurate reporting will help in providing relief to the family of the deceased Covid-19 patients.

In its order, the court said, "As far as this state is concerned, there are reports in some quarters that unless a positive test report was issued in respect of the patient, the subsequent death would not be recorded as a Covid death. There are other issues pertaining to not attributing the death to Covid-19 in the event the patient suffered from other ailments."

The high court also said if a patient has suffered heart attack, then in this case, the underlying condition which might be Covid-19, also be mentioned as the cause of death.

The court said, "Without attempting to go into the specialised domain of doctors and persons trained in such regard, it is elementary that the major ailment suffered by a person may result ultimately in the heart being attacked and the death due to such attack. However, the cause of the death in such a case may not be appropriately attributed to just a heart-attack, but the underlying reason for the heart being attacked ought to be regarded as the real cause. So has it to be done in case of deaths triggered by Covid-19, even if the person suffered from co-morbidities."

The court said this will not only help the family of the deceased Covid-19 patient get monetary relief, but will also be a reference for future study on the pandemic.

"Apart from the fact that the accurate reporting or recording of deaths would help in studies being undertaken to deal with a pandemic of this nature in future, the immediate concern in some cases is that the relief that the family of a person who died due to Covid-19 is otherwise entitled to may not be available unless the death certificate attributes the cause of death to Covid-19," said the court.

The court also said that an appropriate study must be conducted by a specialised team, if necessary. The court further said that it would also be fit and proper to require death certificates already issued to be revised, if required.

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Madras HC asks Tamil Nadu govt to submit report on Covid ...