The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Union Government to reconsider its guidelines that excluded suicides from Covid-19 death certificates. Justice M.R. Shah said that it is prima facie of the view that such suicide cases of Covid positive patients be treated as Covid deaths. The Centre assured the court it would re-examine the issue.
The division bench led by Justice M.R. Shah and Justice A.S. Bopanna expressed satisfaction with the Centre’s decision on Covid-19 death certificates for granting compensation but said 3-4 issues need to be sorted including that of suicides of Covid positive patients which needed to be brought within the Covid ambit.
The Apex Court wanted to know how will the state government implement the Covid guidelines. It sought clarification from the government on the constitution of district committees for redressal of cases. “When will it be formed and which certificate will the family members have to put in front of the committee as evidence?”
Justice M.R. Shah said that it is prima facie of the view that such suicide cases of Covid positive patients be treated as Covid deaths.
It is pertinent to note that on the matter of compensation to the deceased Covid-19 patients, the Supreme Court had asked the government to mention death from coronavirus on the death certificate issued to those who died of the virus. For this, it has been said in the guidelines from the government that if the patient is confirmed to be corona positive in the Covid test or any examination done in the hospital, then the cause of death will be written corona in the death certificate on his death. The next hearing of this case will be on September 23.
