Placido Hilukilwa
DEATH certificates issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs no longer record the cause of death, a decision that left some members of the public indignant.
Those who are unhappy with the exclusion of the cause of death are mostly the Covid-19 and vaccine sceptics who suspect that the government is engaging in a cover-up of “Covid and vaccine deaths”, but the health ministry’s Executive Director Ben Nangombe says there is nothing sinister.
He says that there is, in fact, a very good reason for excluding the cause of death.
“The reason why cause of death is not indicated (on the death certificate) is because it compromises the privacy of the family of the deceased. However, a medical certificate can be issued by a Doctor indicating the cause of death,” says Nangombe, adding that death certificates are public documents that are shared with family members and friends to apply for compassionate leave, insurance companies and the like.
“There are instances where families do not wish for information on cause of death to be circulated widely in that manner. There is nothing sinister about the practice.”
