Guide for Formalities for COVID-19 Positive Deaths at Home

January 21, 2022

After a COVID-19 Positive death has occurred at home, if your Doctor is present at the time of death, the Doctor will declare the time and cause of death and carry out the formalities. If the patient passes away without a Doctor present, please call your Doctor as soon as possible.

The Doctor will fill in Form No. 4A – Medical Certification of Cause of Death, and sign and stamp it with his/her name and registration number, and hand it over to the family or whosoever would be carrying out the formalities and accompanying the body to the crematorium.

Note: It is important that the cause of death be clearly listed as COVID-19 Positive in the Form No. 4A, and the deceased name and all details are correctly recorded.

Once the Form No. 4A is filled by the Doctor, the concerned BMC Ward War Room is to be informed so that they can send the COVID hearse ambulance to take the body to the crematorium. (Respective MCGM Ward-wise War Room Numbers are available here https://togethervcan.in/article/mcgm-ward-wise-control-room-covid-19-information-bed-availability/)

At the crematorium, the person who will accompany the body needs to submit the duly filled Form No. 4A at the counter, where the upper part of the Form will be returned.

Note: Please ensure that before submitting the Form No. 4A at the counter, you make at least two photocopies.

After submission of Form No. 4A at the counter, you will be given a receipt after details are noted in their Register. Please make a photocopy of this receipt.
You will also be given Form No 2 – Death Report, which is to be filled up subsequently and submitted for the issuance of the Death Certificate.

Upon showing the receipt to the attendant at the crematorium, the body will be taken for cremation. The ashes/asti will be handed over upon showing the same receipt. The ashes/asti maybe be disposed of as per the family’s wishes and customs.

While filling in Form No 2 – Death Report, please ensure that all relevant details of the deceased, such as the full name, Aadhaar number, age, address, religion, place of deceased, occupation, as well as names and Aadhaar details of father/mother/husband, are filled in correctly.

Note: The second part of the form meant for statistical processing may require the help of a doctor or the staff at the Ward Office.

Once Form No 2 is filled in, you need to go to the MCGM Ward Office of whichever Ward the location of the death falls under. At the Ward Office, you must submit the filled in Form No 2, as well as photocopies of the Form No 4A, and the Aadhaar card of the deceased. The Death Certificate will be issued in due time and may be collected from the Citizen Facilitation Centre (CFC) at the same Ward Office.

Note: The death is registered as per the place of death and not as per the residence of the deceased. If the death is in a hospital, it will be registered in the Ward under which the said hospital is located.

Please note that there are no charges taken at the cemetery for cremation. Charges will only be applicable while getting the Death Certificates, which is available at the CFC of the Ward Office.

In case of a COVID-19 Positive death occurring in a hospital or other healthcare facility, the staff there will follow their protocol and advice you on what steps are to be taken by you. However, the paperwork and the protocol at the crematorium will be similar. As noted above, if the death is in a hospital or healthcare facility, it will be registered in the Ward under which the said hospital or healthcare facility is located.

More details on issuance of Death Certificate are available here https://togethervcan.in/how-to/get-death-certificate/

All our articles are periodically updated.

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