Madras High Court Directs State To Issue Covid Certificate For Kin Of Deceased To Avail Compensation

The Madras High Court on Thursday directed the State government to ensure that family members of every person who died due to Covid-19 are issued a certificate attributing the cause to the virus, in addition to the death certificate.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy observed that such a certificate can be utilised to claim compensation under various government schemes.

The Court was adjudicating upon a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) which had brought to the notice of the Court that several Covid deaths in the State were not accurately recorded and further that death certificates issued do not always specify Covid-19 to be the principal cause of death.

Reliance was placed on the Supreme Court order dated June 30, 2021, wherein State governments were directed to issue official documents to the kin of the deceased indicating the cause of death to be Covid-19. This would ensure that family members of the deceased get easy access to various government schemes providing ex gratia compensation, the Apex Court had stated.

It was also noted by the Court that accurate reporting and recording of deaths would help in studies being undertaken to deal with a pandemic of this nature in the future.

Accordingly, the Court dismissed the petition by observing,

"The State now has to take appropriate steps to ensure that the heirs or family members of every person who died as a result of Covid-19 are issued an appropriate document that will entitle the suitable person to claim any benefit that has been or may be announced for the relevant person having suffered death due to Covid-19".

The matter has been listed for further hearing on 16.09.2021.

Case Title: HA. Shrirajalakshmi v. The Chief Secretary to Government

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