Why is medical record of every death necessary in India?
Crores of people die every year in India. But the actual cause of death of most of them is not recorded in the medical records. It is also important for the government to medically certify as many deaths as possible because a country’s health policy, disease fighting strategy and future health plans depend on its data.
In response to the question of BJP MP Dr. Sambit Patra, the Home Ministry told in Parliament that in the year 2024, Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) was issued for 20,66,117 deaths across the country. The MCCD system is implemented across the country under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 (which was amended in 2023). Under this, the doctors treating the patient have to fill a prescribed form, in which the cause of death is required to be recorded.
Medically certified death
What is medical certification of cause of death?
Medical certification of cause of death is that process. In this, after the death of a person, it is certified by the doctor treating him that due to which disease, injury or other cause the death occurred. This certificate is necessary not only to register the death but also to know which diseases are causing more deaths in the country.
Parliamentarian Sambit Patra asked in his question in the Lok Sabha whether the government is implementing the MCCD policy, which states do not have this system and whether its impact has been studied. In response to this, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said that MCCD is applicable in the entire country. In the year 2024, 20,66,117 medically certified deaths have been recorded from all 36 states and union territories.
Which states have the highest number of medically certified deaths?
- Maharashtra: 3,27,174
- West Bengal: 2,74,770
- Tamil Nadu: 2,69,576
- Karnataka: 1,52,003
- Gujarat: 1,23,744
- Rajasthan: 1,04,324
- Telangana: 98,647
- Delhi: 88,868
- Uttar Pradesh: 85,577
- Odisha: 84,562
- Bihar: 17,101
- Jharkhand: 12,613
- Haryana: 14,868
Why is the number of medically certified deaths less in states like UP, Bihar, Jharkhand?
If we look at the statistics of medically certified deaths, we will find that states like Maharashtra, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu have a good number of medical certifications. However, in states like UP, Bihar and Jharkhand, the number of deaths declared by doctors is less. The reason for this is certainly not that there have been fewer deaths here.
In fact, only the number of medically certified deaths has been given in the reply to Parliament. The total number of registered deaths has not been given. In these states, medically certified death cases may be less because the deceased are not able to reach the hospital due to lack of awareness or some other reasons. He is dying at home. Instead of taking him to the hospital, he is being cremated here.
The number of medically certified deaths is also less in the Union Territories. There are 114 medically certified deaths recorded in Ladakh, 389 in Lakshadweep, 1,818 in Sikkim, 2,436 in Andaman and Nicobar. At the same time, 326 medically certified deaths have been recorded in some small states of the country like Arunachal Pradesh, 444 in Nagaland, 1,818 in Sikkim, 2,446 in Manipur. Actually, due to the low population of these states, the figures are naturally low.
Why is MCCD data so important?
Many experts say that if the true cause of deaths in the country is not known, then the government will not know which disease is causing the maximum loss of lives. Apart from this, it will be difficult to trace an epidemic like Corona. This is why medical certificate of cause of death is very important so that the government can make effective policies against various diseases in time. Besides, he will also be able to know in which states health services need to be strengthened.
Apart from this, timely steps can also be taken to prevent diseases like heart attack and cancer. If deaths due to road accidents or infections are increasing, then that can also be addressed. This data forms the basis of national health programmes, hospital planning, availability of medicines and allocation of resources.
What is the biggest challenge facing the government?
At present, Medical Certificate of Cause of Death is applicable in the entire country. But its implementation is not enough. The biggest challenge is that there should be medical certification of more and more deaths in the country. For this, the participation of hospitals, private health institutions and doctors will have to be increased, so that a scientific and reliable record of the causes of death can be prepared. If this does not happen, India’s health policy, epidemic management and future medical plans will be badly affected.
