In Telangana, hospitals see steady rush for COVID-death documents
The Hindu
Number of applications likely to shoot up with NMDA’s ex-gratia recommendation
Government hospitals in the State have been witnessing a steady flow of applications for death summary of those who succumbed to COVID-19. Now, rush for the document, which mentions the ‘cause of death’, is expected to intensify with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) recommending ex-gratia of ₹50,000 to the kin of coronavirus victims.
The Ministry of Home Affairs apprised the Supreme Court of the recommendation recently. Financial aid would be extended, provided that the death is certified as having been caused by COVID-19.
Following a person’s death, the hospital concerned issues a slip containing details such as name, duration of treatment, as well as time and date of death. This helps in clearing paper-work during funeral rites. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation issues a death certificate, also containing the same details along with the place of death. However, cause of death is mentioned in the ‘Death Summary’ which is issued by a government hospital administration only upon application.
Several principals of government and private schools in Delhi on Tuesday said the Directorate of Education (DoE) circular from a day earlier, directing schools to conduct classes in ‘hybrid’ mode, had caused confusion regarding day-to-day operations as they did not know how many students would return to school from Wednesday and how would teachers instruct in two modes — online and in person — at once. The DoE circular on Monday had also stated that the option to “exercise online mode of education, wherever available, shall vest with the students and their guardians”. Several schoolteachers also expressed confusion regarding the DoE order. A government schoolteacher said he was unsure of how to cope with the resumption of physical classes, given that the order directing government offices to ensure that 50% of the employees work from home is still in place. On Monday, the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) had, on the orders of the Supreme Court, directed schools in Delhi-NCR to shift classes to the hybrid mode, following which the DoE had issued the circular. The court had urged the Centre’s pollution watchdog to consider restarting physical classes due to many students missing out on the mid-day meals and lacking the necessary means to attend classes online. The CAQM had, on November 20, asked schools in Delhi-NCR to shift to the online mode of teaching.