ALLAHABAD: The Allahabad high court has held that if a persons is admitted to a hospital due to Covid-19 dies during treatment, it should be considered a Covid death, even if the immediate cause is heart failure or dysfunction of any other organ.
The dependants of any such deceased person would be entitled for ex gratia payment as already fixed by the government. Allowing the writ petitions filed by Kusum Lata Yadav and several others, a division bench comprising Justice Attau Rahman Masoodi and Justice Vikram D Chauhan directed the state authorities to release the ex gratia payment to the dependents of Covid victims within a period of one month.
The petitioners challenged clause 12 of the government order dated June 1, 2021, primarily on the ground that it provides a ceiling, which restricts payment of compensation only if the death has occurred within 30 days.
