News Analysis India

Tag: covid death

  • Chhattisgarh forms panel to disburse ex gratia to kin of those who died of Covid

    Express News Service

    RAIPUR: The Chhattisgarh government has formed a ‘death analysis committee’ which will help issue certificated to form the basis of disbursing ex gratia compensation of Rs 50000 for the kin of those who died due to Covid-19.

    The panel will deal with the grievances regarding certification of death and issue amended documents after directly accessing the hospital medical records to ascertain claims, a state health department official said. 

    The state government has instructed the administration of every district to complete the process for granting compensation within 30 days.

    “Covid-19 is an unprecedented disaster. In Chhattisgarh, 13569 people have died due to Covid-19. All district collectors have been directed to comply with the necessary guidelines issued by the National Disaster Management Authority, Ministry of Home Affairs and undertake necessary action to provide the ex gratia compensation. The disbursement would be via Aadhar-linked direct bank transfer process,” the officer added. 

  • ‘Rs 50000 is a joke’: Congress demands Rs 5 lakh to kin of those who died of Covid-19

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: The Congress said that the amount of Rs 50,000 announced by the Centre as ex gratia to families of those who died of COVID-19 is a joke and Rs 5 lakh should be given to the kin, said party national spokesperson Supriya Shrinate on Thursday.

    “Congress party demands Rs 5 lakh to the kin of those people who lost their lives die to COVID-19 because numerous children lost their parents and people have become jobless. So, the help of only Rs 50,000 per deceased person is only a joke,” Shrinate told ANI.

    The Central government on Wednesday announced an amount of Rs 50,000 as ex gratia to families of those who died of COVID-19.

    Taking a dig at the Centre, she said that the government has announced Rs 50,000 after the intervention of the court. The Centre is not declaring coronavirus infection a disaster because according to the law, there is a provision to give Rs 4 lakh on death due to disaster.” 

  • NDMA recommended Rs 50,000 ex-gratia to kin of those who lost lives to COVID, Centre tells SC

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has recommended that Rs 50,000 be given to the kin of those who died of COVID-19, the Centre informed the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

    It said that ex-gratia assistance will also be given to the kin of those who died of the virus due to involvement in COVID-19 relief operations or activities associated with the preparedness for dealing with the pandemic.

    The ex-gratia assistance will be given subject to the cause of death being certified as COVID-19 as per the guidelines issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and ICMR, the government said.

    It added that the ex-gratia assistance will be provided by states from State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).

    On September 3, the top court had expressed displeasure over delay in framing of guidelines for issuance of death certificates to the families of those who died of COVID-19.

    The apex court had in its June 30 verdict directed the NDMA to recommend within six weeks the guidelines for ex-gratia assistance on account of loss of life to the family members of persons who died due to COVID-19.

  • Full dose of Covid vaccines offers 98% protection against death, Centre cites study

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: Senior government officials on Friday said both doses of vaccines provide at least 98% protection from Covid-19 death, citing a study carried out by the PGIMER, Chandigarh, in association with the Punjab government. 

    This real-life study has been carried out among police personnel of the state. 

    The researcher showed that 15 deaths were reported among 4,868 non-vaccinated persons while this figure fell to 9 among 35,856 people who had received one dose. 

    The number of deaths fell to only 2 among 42,720 individuals who had received both their doses, said VK Paul, member (health), Niti Aayog, and chairman of the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid. 

    ALSO READ | Now, pregnant women too can take Covid vaccine, says Centre

    In other words, while the incidence of death was 3.08 per thousand population in the unvaccinated, it was 0.25 per thousand in those with partial vaccination and 0.005 per thousand in those fully vaccinated. 

    In relative terms, this study showed that partial vaccination offered 92 % protection from death due to Covid19 in those with one dose of vaccination and 98 % protection from death in those who were fully vaccinated. 

    Last month, citing the first studies from India from healthcare workers, Paul had underlined that Covid19 vaccines offer substantial risk reduction against hospitalisation, ICU care, and the need for oxygen.   

    These studies had come out from PGI, Chandigarh, and Christian Medical College, Vellore, and showed that vaccination offered a 75-80 % risk reduction against hospitalisation from infection in vaccinated individuals, as compared to those unvaccinated. 

    The government is repeatedly citing the findings from such studies to give an impetus to its ongoing Covid vaccination drive and remove the vaccine hesitancy from a section of people.

    ALSO WATCH | How Mumbai, India’s most crowded city, beat the odds, and the coronavirus:

  • SC reserves verdict on Rs 4 lakh ex-gratia compensation to kin of COVID-19 deceased

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Monday reserved verdict on the pleas seeking directions that ex-gratia compensation of Rs 4 lakh be paid to the families of those who have died of COVID-19.

    A special vacation bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan and M R Shah heard Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and senior advocate S B Upadhyay and other lawyers for almost two hours.

    The top court asked the parties to file written submissions in three days and specifically directed the Centre to simplify the process of grant of death certificates to the dependents of those who have died of COVID-19.

    The Centre had earlier the apex court that the ex-gratia compensation of Rs 4 lakh cannot be paid to the families of those who have died of COVID-19 as the finances of state governments and the Centre are under severe strain.

    In an affidavit filed before the top court, the Ministry of Home Affairs said the Centre submitted that it has by ways of “Minimum Standard Relief” under section 12 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, taken several steps providing for substantial and speedy measures by way of, increase in the health, infrastructure, ensuring food safety to every citizen.

    Advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal, one of the petitioners in the matter, had argued that under section 12(iii) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, every family whose member died due to disaster is entitled for ex-gratia compensation of Rs 4,00,000.

    He had argued that since COVID-19 has been declared as a disaster and as per the order dated April 8, 2015, every family whose member dies due to disaster is entitled for ex-gratia compensation of Rs 4 lakh.

    The counsel, appearing for another petitioner Reepak Kansal, had argued that a large number of deaths were taking place due to COVID-19 and death certificates need to be issued, as only after that the affected family members can claim compensation under section 12 (iii) of the Act.

    In his plea, Kansal has said that states should be directed to fulfil their obligation to take care of victims of COVID-19 and also their family members.

  • Maharashtra: 67-year-old corona warrior dies, associate says government provided no help

    By PTI
    NAGPUR: A 67-year-old retired government employee who helped cremate more than 1,300 COVID-19 victims himself succumbed to the viral infection here, with his associate claiming that he did not receive timely help.

    Chandan Nimje, a retired Central government employee, died on May 26.

    Nimje, alongwith other members of King Cobra Organisation Youth Force, a social service group, had cremated more than 1,300 COVID-19 deceased since the pandemic began.

    He was also felicitated as `corona warrior’ by the Nagpur Mayor recently.

    Arvind Ratudi, founder of the group, told PTI on Saturday that Nimje, his wife, sister and two sons tested positive on May 2.

    Nimje was shifted to a private hospital that demanded a deposit of Rs one lakh in cash and refused to accept card payment, he said.

    He was then taken back home and admitted to another hospital on May 5, Ratudi said, alleging that calls to Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) officials went unanswered.

    On May 6, other members of the family too were admitted in another private hospital, he said.

    As Nimje’s condition deteriorated, the hospital asked them to arrange Tocilizumab.

    A person from Delhi who knew about the organisation and its work sent them four vials of the medicine without taking any money, Ratudi said.

    On May 26, they arranged a bed for Nimje at the Government Medical College Hospital but he died before he could be shifted there, Ratudi said.

    Had Nimje received timely and proper treatment, he could have been saved, but besides sealing the house the civic officials offered no help to the family, his associate claimed.

    “I am going to file a petition before the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court about the apathy of the state government, NMC and district administration leading to his death,” Ratudi said.

    “We, with our network of so many activists, could not get timely help, so imagine the plight of common people,” he added.

  • Goa government seeks data on students orphaned due to COVID-19

    By PTI
    PANAJI: The Goa education department on Saturday directed its affiliated academic institutes in the state to provide information about the students, who have lost either one or both their parents due to COVID-19.

    Director of education, D R Bhagat, issued a circular to this effect, asking the institutes to compile a data of such students and submit it to the department by Monday.

    “Due to the sudden rise in COVID-19 cases recently, many children have been orphaned or have lost either of their parents due to the pandemic,” the circular said.

    “The service providers might find it challenging to support children in institutions with psychosocial and mental health care needs. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights in New Delhi has asked the department to submit the information to be uploaded on the ‘Baal Swaraj Portal’,” it added.

    The coronavirus case count in Goa till Friday evening was 1,58,423, while the death toll was 2,727.

  • Doctors in Assam boycott OPD services protesting assault on colleague, 24 assailants arrested

    By Express News Service
    GUWAHATI: Doctors in Assam are boycotting OPD services on Wednesday in protest against the assault on a junior colleague even as Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said he was personally monitoring the investigation.

    “24 culprits involved in this barbaric attack have been arrested and the chargesheet will be filed at the earliest. I am personally monitoring this investigation and I promise that justice will be served,” Sarma tweeted.

    In another tweet, he wrote: “Such barbaric attacks on our frontline workers won’t be tolerated by our administration.” 

    Dr Seuj Kumar Senapati was brutally beaten up by a group of people following the death of a Covid patient at the Odali Model Hospital in Hojai district of Central Assam on Tuesday. Most of the accused were family members and relatives of the deceased.

    In a video of the incident that has gone viral on the social media, some people are seen attacking the young doctor with utensils, other blunt weapons and kicking him.

    24 culprits involved in this barbaric attack have been arrested and the chargesheet will be filed at the earliest.I am personally monitoring this investigation and I promise that justice will be served. https://t.co/CVgRaEW0di
    — Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) June 2, 2021

    “The relatives told me the patient was serious but when I examined his health condition, I found him to be already dead. Soon, they started vandalising the hospital furniture and attacking me,” Dr Senapati said.

    Incidentally, it was said to be his first day in service.

    Earlier in the day, CM Sarma had mentioned the names of 22 people identified as the “culprits”. They were Md Kamaruddin, Md Jainal Uddin, Rehanuddin, Saidul Alam, Rahim Uddin, Rajul Islam, Tayebur Rahman, Sahil Islam, Rahimuddin, Abdul Kalam, Nurzul Islam, Abdul Gumi, Dilwar Hussain, Abdul Hussain, Anuwar, Nasirrudin, Alimuddin, Jamil Ahmad, Sarifuddin, Safiquddin, Matibur Rahman and Miss Misba Begum.

    The Assam Medical Service Association, which called for boycott of the OPD services, warned that if such an incident recurred in the future, it would cease all services across the state. It demanded the beefing up of security at all hospitals.

    “Assam Health Security Force should be raised immediately. As raising it will take time, we request for the immediate recruitment of temporary security personnel,” the Association said.

  • Two men caught on tape throwing Covid patient’s body into river in UP’s Balrampur

    By PTI
    BALRAMPUR: Two men, one of them wearing a PPE kit, were caught on tape rolling down a coronavirus patient’s body from over a bridge into a river in Uttar Pradesh’s Balrampur district.

    The video was shot by some people who were driving by the spot.

    After the visuals surfaced, police registered a case.

    Balrampur Chief Medical Officer Vijay Bahadur Singh on Sunday said the body has been identified as that of Prem Nath Mishra, a resident of Sohratgarh in UP’s Siddharth Nagar district.

    ये ‘कूड़ा’ नही, नदी में लाश फेंकी जा रही है,तस्वीरें ‘उत्तम-प्रदेश’ के बलरामपुर की है…pic.twitter.com/xiJPsYKB30
    — Srinivas B V (@srinivasiyc) May 30, 2021

    “Prem Nath Mishra was hospitalised on May 25 after he contracted COVID-19 and succumbed to the disease on May 28. The body was handed over to family members as per the COVID-19 protocol. In the video, which went viral on social media, it can be seen that the body was thrown into the Rapti river.”

    He said a case has been registered at the Kotwali police station in this regard.

    Earlier in the month, several bodies were seen floating in the Ganga and Yamuna rivers in the state, triggering apprehensions that these were of COVID-19 patients.

    The authorities too had urged people not to dispose of bodies into rivers.

  • Bihar IMA demands compensation for 146 doctors who passed away due to COVID

    Express News Service
    PATNA: Around 146 government-employed and private doctors have sacrificed their lives from March 2020 to May 2021 during the peak times of Covid-19 infection, in Bihar.

    Expressing solidarity as well support to the families of all those doctors who have lost their lives, the Bihar chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Friday demanded adequate compensation to the dependents of doctors who have died so far.

    Writing a letter to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the IMA has stated in detail the names of all the doctors from both private and government-employed doctors had died in the first phase of pandemic in 2020 while serving other Covid positive patients.

    In the on-going second phase of the pandemic, 106 doctors from both the private and the government medical sectors have lost their lives.

    According to the IMA statement, most of the doctors who have died of Corona infection were either engaged in treatment, screening, or other medical care to other COVID patients.”Thus, the IMA demands that all deaths of doctors be considered for compensation under the PM Garib Kalyan Yojna,” the IMA statement stated.

    Besides, the state government has also been requested to come out with its own compensation scheme as Tamil Nadu, Telangana and other states are providing to the dependents of doctors who die after being infected with the COVID-19. A government job is also provided to an eligible dependent of a dead doctor by the government in many states