IT News
Imphal, Jan 17:
Many Covid-19 victims who had succumbed to Covid-19 are reportedly denied of ex-gratia announced by the central and the state government in the state of Manipur after the victim families were asked to submit documents that are not under their possession. Even though the state government authority has an official record of those who died due to Covid-19, the process for applying for the ex-gratia by the victim families was made so complicated that many victims were denied the ex-gratia announced by the State Disasters Management authority.
As per a report of the Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP), the total death cause by the Covid-19 in the state of Manipur is 2,015 persons as on January 16. It is on government record. Even after having the record, those families were asked to submit documents to prove that the person died of Covid-19 to get the ex-gratia.
One victim of the Covid-19 was Lairenjam Bijen Singh (age 46) he worked as a photojournalist at Imphal Times and succumbed to Covid 19 on 23/07/2021. He was hospitalized on July 18 after having some respiratory problem at RIMS. The RIMS authority confirmed him Covid-19 positive and admitted immediately at Covid ward RIMS and on the following day he was shifted to Trauma Center RIMS, as his condition deteriorated.
A death certificate issued by the Resident/ Registrar of the RIMS stated the cause of his death as TYPE 1 RESPIRATORY FAILURE+ARDS +COVID 19 SEVERE PNEUMONIA +T2DM.
As every test was done at RIMS, the family did not collect the covid-19 positive certificate or was not handed over by the RIMS authority.
The dead body was cremated at a public crematorium near Minuthong, Imphal as he was covid-19 victim.
He was Imphal Times staff working as a photojournalist, but due to some personal reason, he did not apply for DIPR card. However, he prefer to become a member of the All Manipur Working Journalist Union and was a member. Because, he didn’t have a DIPR card he didn’t get any facilities provided by the government, except some financial assistance from AMWJU.
Now, with the state government announcement of providing some financial assistance to the Covid-19 victim, by the Disasters Management authority his wife, L. Sangita applied for the same.
However, the authority had told her that she is not liable for getting the financial assistance of her deceased husband as she could not provide the Covid test report and as there is no mention of any Covid related cases as the cause of death.
Everyone knows L. Bijen died of Covid. He was treated at Covid ward and later at Trauma center and later succumbed to Covid-19. The Registrar or the Resident of the department of RIMS had also provided him a death certificate mentioning the cause of death as Covid-19. However, RIMS provided another death certificate where there is no mention of the cause of death.
The health department has recorded late Bijen’s death as Covid-19 dead. (as per your official release), the Press Emblem
Campaign (PEC) , a global media safety and rights body, and the All Manipur Working Journalists Union, Editors’ Guild Manipur have all acknowledged the cause of Bijen’s dead as due to Covid-19.
If late Bijen is not entitled to get the compensation for Covid-19 victims just because there are some documents left , How many Covid-19 victims will get? Or is it just another political gimmick ??
And why the department is making it so complicated in applying for the compensation when they (The health department) have all records.
The same was with a person from Sagoltongba Sabal Leikai area. His mother, a widow still didn’t get any facilities till now and is not in the position to apply for the ex-gratia as she didn’t have any document to prove the cause of her son’s death was Covid-19 even though state authority recorded and cremated him as Covid-19 victim.
