Govt notifies guidelines for releasing ex-gratia to victims

Days after sanctioning ex-gratia assistance of Rs.50,000 to Next of Kin (NoK) of Covid-19 victims, the Jammu and Kashmir government Thursday notified mandatory guidelines for determination and detection of the cases.
As per the mandatory guidelines, the deaths occurring within 30 days from the date of testing or from the date of being clinically determined as a Covid-19 case shall be treated as “Deaths due to Covid-19”, even if the death takes place outside the hospital/in-patient facility.

An order in this regard has been issued by the Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation & Reconstruction Jammu and Kashmir. “For the purpose of the payment of COVID-19 deaths ex-gratia assistance following are the mandatory guidelines for determination/detection of the cases”, the order reads.

“For the purpose of considering the deaths of the deceased due to Covid-19 those deceased which are diagnosed through a positive RT- PCR/Molecular Tests/RAT or clinically determined through investigations in a hospital/ in-patient facility by a treating physician, while admitted in the hospital/ in-patient facility shall be eligible”, the guidelines read.

Further that the deaths occurring within 30 days from the date of testing or from the date of being clinically determined as a Covid-19 case shall be treated as “Deaths due to Covid-19”, even if the death takes place outside the hospital/in-patient facility.

Also the patient who was admitted in the hospital/in-patient facility and who continued to be admitted beyond 30 days and died subsequently of Covid-19 shall also be treated as a Covid-19 death, the guidelines read.

A family member of the deceased who committed suicide within 30 days from being diagnosed as Covid-19 positive shall also be entitled to avail the financial help/Ex-Gratia Assistance of Rs.50,000, it added.

“Further, Covid- 19 patients who have died either in the hospital or at home and do not possess any authentic certificate for cause of death, but satisfy any of the eligibility criteria mentioned in the order will also be eligible for Ex-Gratia Assistance”, the guidelines added.

As per the order, “All concerned hospitals where the patient was admitted and given treatment have been asked to provide all the necessary documents of treatment etc. to the family member of the deceased, as and when demanded.

And, if any hospital and/or the place where the deceased had taken treatment refuses to furnish such documents, it will be open for the Grievance Redress Committee to call for such information and the concerned hospital/institutions where the deceased was admitted shall have to furnish such particulars as required for the purpose of establishing that the death was due to Covid-19, the order reads.

In cases of the death certifications already issued and any family member of the deceased is aggrieved by the cause of death mentioned in the death certification or in any other format already issued by the Hospital, It will be open for the aggrieved person to move the appropriate authority who issued the death certificate and /or registering authority and on production of the necessary documents as observed hereinabove including production of documents such as positive RT-PCR/Molecular Tests/RAT or clinically determined through investigations in a hospital/in-facility the concerned authority shall modify /amend such death certification, the order reads.

“If the person is still aggrieved it will be open for the aggrieved person to approach the grievance redress committee constituted as herein-above in government order dated 29th November under para-7 and the grievance redress community may ratify/amend the death certificate, it needed”, the order read.

“All concerned government departments/officers shall give top priority to matters related to this so that successors to the deceased get assistance without facing any difficulty”, the order reads.

It is pertinent to mention here that the government earlier this week sanctioned ex-gratia assistance of Rs.50,000 to NoK of Covid-19 victims, whereas, Deputy Commissioners were asked to constitute a committee headed by Additional Deputy Commissioner of the district for redressal to any grievances with regard to the certification of the Covid-19 death.