COVID In Odisha: Official Toll 9,116, Compensation Paid to 16,200; Govt Clarifies Gap

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Bhubaneswar: The state government has clarified that the huge gap between the number of official COVID deaths and compensation beneficiaries was due to the fact that official toll counts only institutional fatalities.

As per the data with the office of Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), COVID compensation of Rs 50,000 has been paid to each family of 16,200 people who have succumbed to the virus while the official toll in 9,116. Besides, more than 17,500 applications have been filed for ex gratia which is nearly 92% more than the official death figure.

As per the norms, anyone who dies within a month of testing positive for COVID is eligible for compensation. “The official COVID toll counts institutional fatalities in which the virus is the principal cause of death. If co-morbidities is the main cause of death in a person who has tested positive for coronavirus, the same is not counted as official COVID death, though such a person is also eligible for compensation as per the Supreme Court guideline,” TOI quoted Director, Health Services Bijay Mohapatra as saying.

According to sources, more than 1000 applications are under consideration for compensation at present. The application for COVID death compensation was started on November 3 last year. The compensation is paid within 30 days of receiving the application, they added.