Question : Compensation to the Victims of COVID-19

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has declared that COVID- 19 pandemic is a national disaster and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
(b) whether the Government has noticed that the Apex Court of India has directed them to frame a guideline and declare compensation to the victims of COVID-19;
(c) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by the Government in this regard;
(d) whether the Government has any data regarding number of people who died due to COVID-19 pandemic and if so, the details thereof;
(e) whether the Government has noticed that the deaths due to COVID-19 were not registered properly/ underreported/concealed to bring down death rate and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; and
(f) the action taken by the Government to direct the States/UTs to reveal the actual death due to the pandemic?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)
(a): Keeping in view the spread of COVID-19 in the country and declaration of COVID-19 as pandemic by the World health Organization, the central Government treated it as notified disaster for providing assistance under State Disaster Response Fund for various containment measures.

(b) & (c): The Hon''ble Supreme Court of India vide its judgment dated 30th June, 2021, in W.P.(C) No. 539 of 2021 titled as Gaurav Kumar Bansal of vs. Union of India & Ors. inter alia directed National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to recommend guidelines for ex gratia assistance on account of loss of life to the family members of the persons who died due to COVID-19, as mandated under Section 12(iii) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 for the minimum standards of relief to be provided to the persons affected by disaster- COVID-19 pandemic, over and above the guidelines already recommended for the minimum standards of relief to be provided to persons affected by COVID-19. Pursuant to the said judgement, the matter is under consultation with all the stakeholders.

(d) to (f): State/UT wise COVID-19 deaths since January 2020 (as on 22nd July 2021, is at Annexure).
MoHFW has conveyed to States/UTs, WHO and ICMR guidelines on correct recording of COVID-19 related deaths in accordance with globally accepted ICD-10 classification. In addition, the issue of correct and timely reporting of deaths has also been stressed to all States/UTs through video conferences and formal communication.
Accordingly, the details are obtained from states/UTs. It has been noted that some of states based on reconciliation of mortality data have also revised the reported COVID-19 deaths. All states have also been advised that while reconciling the data, the details of deaths shall be indicated date wise & district wise to get correct picture of the pandemic.