Ggm’s health dept forms committee to audit deaths
nGURUGRAM: The Gurugram administration has constituted a Covid-19 Death Audit Committee (CDAC) to review deaths arising from the coronavirus disease. Several states have such committees, which follow the Indian Council of Medical Research’s guidelines on recording Covid-19 deaths. In Gurugram, as per government records no Covid-19 death has been reported.
Deaths have, however, been reported in a few private hospitals of the city where Covid-19 patients from different states were admitted. Health officials say these deaths have been reported in the respective states to which the deceased belonged. As these patients were being treated in Gurugram when they succumbed to the disease, the audit committee will review these cases. “Following the state government’s guidelines, we will analyse the sequence of events leading to death, conditions antecedent to the immediate cause of the death, onset of the disease, the treatment protocol followed among others. It will help us to understand the treatment requirement and plan management strategies,” said Dr Jaswant Singh Punia, chief medical officer, who will be the chairperson of the district committee.
The other members of the committee will be a member of the rapid response team, a general physician or a respiratory medicine specialist, a microbiologist or pathologist, the district immunisation officer and a representative of the deputy commissioner. It will also include representative of the World Health Organization and the Indian Medical Association.
According to an order of the Haryana government released on Wednesday, each district in the state will have to form such a committee.
In Haryana, 13 Covid-19 deaths have been reported, with Faridabad having the highest number deaths, five. Three deaths have been reported in Panipat, two in Ambala, one each in Rohtak, Sonepat and Karnal.
The team will study all the reports, records, and case sheets of the deceased .
Punia said it will be writing to all private hospitals where Covid-19 patients from Haryana or other states underwent treatment. The committee will have to submit the report within 72 hours of death.
A senior state government official said that Haryana has included in its death toll cases where deaths are due to a comorbidity. “Following the government protocol,deaths are counted in a district or state where the patient originally contracted the virus.”