Mumbai: E-training for doctors on scientific death certification

MUMBAI: To standardise death certification in the country, Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) in Parel launched an e-course for doctors on filling death certificates.
Death certificates need to be completed as World Health Organisation’s International Classification of Diseases (ICD 10) codes, with each code pertaining to a cause. Death certification is not done scientifically in parts of the country, prompting TMC, BMC and the state, with US Center for Diseases Control, to develop the e-training.
TMC’s Dr Rajesh Dikshit and Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi said, “We study the dead to help the living. We need good quality cause of death data to do this.” During Covid pandemic, health data was continuously assessed to gauge burden of the disease.
“This is a commendable effort to train doctors on the right method to complete Medical Certification of Cause of Death forms. It will improve doctors’ understanding and skill, which will, in turn, improve the quality of cause of death data for decision-making,” said TMC director Dr Rajendra Badwe.