India's top court on Monday approved the government's decision to pay about $670 for every coronavirus death in the country as compensation to the next of kin of the deceased.
After a series of hearings, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued affidavits in September offering compensation to family members of all Covid-19 victims, including people who died by suicide after hearing the diagnosis. The court ruled that no state can immediately deny the compensation even if an individual's death certificate does not list Covid-19 as the cause of death, according to advocate Gaurav Bansal who filed the original petition.
"All concerned hospitals where the patient was admitted and given treatment shall provide all the necessary documents of treatment etc. to the family member of the deceased, as and when demanded," the judgment read.