MARGAO
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s announcement promising to provide relief amounting to Rs two lakh to the kin of the deceased who lost their lives to infections from the prevailing Covid pandemic, has put the births and deaths registration officers in a quandary.
For, applications have started pouring in from the kin of the deceased with requests to mention Covid death remark on the death certificate – a request which cannot be acceded to with the death certificate format barring the registration officers from citing cause of the death.
One such application has been received by Margao Municipal Chief Officer from a person who has submitted an application mentioning that Covid death remark be made on the death certificate of his relative.
In his letter addressed to the Chief Registrar of Births and Deaths, Director of Planning and Statistics, the Chief Officer has drawn the attention to the format which states that in case of death “no disclosure shall be made of particulars regarding the cause of death as entered in the register”.
While saying that the applicant wants the Covid death remark on the death certificate of the deceased, the Chief Officer has requested the Chief Registrar of Births and Deaths to guide him in the matter.
The MMC Chief Officer told ‘The Goan’ that the application received by him may be just the beginning as the Margao civic body must have registered over hundred Covid deaths during the second wave of Covid pandemic.
The deaths due to Covid infections at the South Goa district hospital, ESI hospital and private hospitals have been registered with the Margao Muncipal Council since the civic body is the local authority delegated with the powers to register the deaths.
“Let us wait for the advice of the Chief Registrar of Births and Deaths on the matter. The Civic body will go by the advice of the Chief Registrar”, he said.
Sources in the civic body are also trying to figure out whether the Supreme Court has passed any order directing inclusion of Covid death remark on death certificate.
