Mysore/Mysuru: The process of issuing automated and printed death certificates for people who die of Coronavirus infection at the designated COVID-19 Hospital — District Hospital on KRS Road — has begun since yesterday and the relatives of the deceased can approach the Hospital for the death certificates. 

Till now the certificates were being issued manually where details were hand-written by the counter staff. Though the Hospital was constructed as the new District Hospital, it was later converted to the designated COVID Hospital as there was urgency for an exclusive facility to treat infected patients. The Hospital was converted in March soon after the Nanjangud Jubilant Cluster Case was reported.

Not officially named

However, as the Hospital was not officially christened as District Hospital, there were no records available to support it as the District Hospital. But as there was pressure from the patients on the Hospital to issue death certificates to those dying at the Hospital, a temporary arrangement was made. 

Under this arrangement, a letterhead bearing the name “Office of the District Surgeon, District Hospital, KRS Road Mysuru –  Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology” was created and the manual certificate was being issued with the seal of District Surgeon, Epidemic Disease Hospital, KRS Road, Metagalli. 

Registration ID & password 

The manual certificate was signed on behalf of the District Surgeon. Now the Government has permitted the Hospital to issue death certificates and has allotted a registration ID and password. Also, the process of uploading the details online has been initiated. Accordingly, the patient details like date of admission, date of discharge or death is entered into the software. 

If the patient dies, his/ her details are entered online and the death certificate is issued with the letter head of District Hospital. The certificate is printed in an automated form and issued to the relatives of patients. Till now, manual certificates with the name of the deceased, age, address, Aadhaar Number and the date of death was being issued and it was mentioned as ‘temporary death certificate.’ 

COVID cause not mentioned

Now the death certificate is issued in a proper printed format with the official seal and signature of the authorities. But the death certificates do not mention COVID as a Cause of Death (COD) following the protocol and guidelines issued by the Centre and the State Governments.

Nationwide, the death certificate application does not have a ‘Column 6’ where usually the COD is mentioned. As this column itself is not printed in the application, the necessity of mentioning the COD does not arise. 

The national standards of death reporting have been laid down by the Office of Registrar General of India (ORGI) under its Civil Registration System. This is followed across the nation. As per Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, and Karnataka Registration of Births and Deaths rules, the COVID deaths cannot be made public. 

Deaths at other hospitals

For patients who die of COVID at various other private hospitals and COVID Care Centres (CCCs), the death certificates are issued at Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) Main Office on Sayyaji Rao Road in the Birth and Death Section.

These certificates are issued after verification from the information given by private hospitals. For those patients who die of COVID-19 at State-run K.R. Hospital, certificates are issued at the Records Section of the Hospital.