Death By suicide Within 30 Days Of Person Testing Positive Is COVID-19 Death: Govt

Mumbai: The Centre has informed the Supreme Court that it has decided to include death by suicide happening within 30 days of a person testing positive as COVID-19 death, thereby entitling their next of kin to get ₹50,000 as ex-gratia.

According to the affidavit, the family members of those who commit suicide within 30 days after diagnosis of COVID-19 will be entitled to receive financial assistance under the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) as per the guidelines of the Ministry of Health.

The Center said any death certificate issued before the new guidelines came into force or rectified by the district level committee shall be treated as a valid document for considering any death as “death due to Covid-19”.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the Supreme Court that death certificates issued before the new order came into force could be rectified by placing a petition before a district-level committee, which would be constituted by the state governments. The Center said that the states will have to constitute grievance redressal committees within 30 days.

The family members of the deceased can lodge their complaint before the concerned District Level Committee if the death certificate issued does not recognize it as “death due to Covid-19” and mentions some other incidental cause in the death certificate.

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