States eye software for recording deaths

NEW DELHI : Feeling the need for realtime reporting of deaths from Covid-19, several states are planning to use the e-mortality recording software developed by an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) institute.

The Karnataka governemnt was the first to direct all hospitals to use the death registry software. Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan are also finalising plans to adopt ICMR-National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research (NCDIR).

“We have been using this software for a couple of years to record deaths from our registry sites in 25 hospitals across India. It has been quite effective in documenting cause of death in a scientific manner,” said Dr Prashant

Mathur, director, NCDIR.

Both hospital and athome deaths will be recorded on this software, which, Mathur says, does not aim to replace the existing system of death registration.

“All deaths must be certified by a medical doctor,” says the software document. The software will help facilitate death registration for families; hospitals that can record a death and maintain death register, and conduct mortality audits, among other things.

Data will be encrypted. “Not everyone will have access to the data; it will remain restricted to protect identities of the deceased,” Mathur added.