IMCT writes to Bengal CS; seeks explanation on methodology used to ascertain COVID deaths

 Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) on Friday wrote to West Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiv Sinha asking him to explain methodology used by ‘Committee of Doctors’ in state to ascertain death due to COVID-19 and also if it is in line with Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) guidelines.

IMCT said that Principal Secretary (Health) in his presentation had mentioned that if a COVID-19 patient dies in a road accident, "He cant be said to have died of COVID. IMCT did t find reasoning convincing as re is comparison between a road death and a death in a hospital due to disease," letter said.

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IMCT seeks important details

 team has w sought government order constituting committee of doctors to declare cause of death for COVID-19 patients. Along with that, it has asked to provide case records of all COVID-19 patients where cause of death is attributed to some or cause by committee and time taken by committee to its conclusion.

IMCT also wants to kw wher such a committee to ascertain cause of death exists for any or disease in West Bengal and wher such a committee is in line with ICMR guidelines or medical practice, letter stated.

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Test result awaited for 5 days

In a separate letter to CS, team also raised some critical observations in relation to ir Thursday visits to COVID hospitals in Kolkata. IMCT said that re were a large number of patients in isolation wards of CNCI and Bangur hospitals awaiting COVID-19 test results for five days or longer and said that re is a danger of those testing negative acquiring infection in hospital while awaiting ir test results.

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Dead bodies kept in open ward

letter also said that re were reports on social media that dead bodies were lying on beds in a ward and upon inquiry, it was informed that it is possible that dead bodies lying re take at least four hours to issue a death certificate, after which body is shifted to a mortuary.

"It is t clear why a body should lie in a ward in full view of or patients and shifted to mortuary even while awaiting death certificate. Records may be furnished for how much time it takes to issue a death certificate and shift a body to mortuary," letter stated.

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(PTI Photo of Rajiv Sinha)