Confusion surrounds dengue death records after the announcement of Rs 500,000 compensation to heirs of the deceased was made. The health officials have failed to ascertain the cause of death in most cases. Head of the committee set up for the provision of financial assistance to heirs of the deceased, Professor Dr Faisal Masood said: “I am as ignorant about working of committee as you are,” while talking to Pakistan Today. He said that he had not been given any Terms of Reference (TORs), hence he did not know how to verify if the family of a deceased person should receive the compensation.
He alleged that he had only read in the newspapers about his inclusion in the committee and had not been contacted officially for the duty. However, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had announced that the committee would collect the day of deceased within 72 hours and begin the distribution of financial assistance.
The Health officials have been unable to confirm deaths from dengue, as the statistics by the Directorate General of Health Services have declared majority of the 247 dengue-related deaths to be “suspected”. Moreover, the issue could be further complicated as the Health Department has been reporting the deaths happening at a few hospitals only. The heirs of those died in private hospitals may be deprived of the financial assistance.
According to Health Services Director General Dr Aslam Chaudhary, it was a duty of the hospitals to issue death certificates of the deceased with cause of death specified on them.
