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Cause of Death
Sri Lanka
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Sri Lanka
Cause of Death
Transmission of Cause of Death Data
Transmission of Cause of Death Data
Transmission of Cause of Death Data
For a death that occurred in a health facility (and not referred to MLDI), does the law specify how the information on cause of death is transmitted to the civil registrar and/or the statistics agency?
Yes for transmission of information to civil registrar
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
The medical certificate of cause of death should be transmitted to the civil registrar or the statistics agencies to be used for legal and statistical purposes. In some countries, all the information in the medical certificate of cause of death is submitted to the registrar directly, who in turn submits the statistical information from the medical certificate of cause of death to the statistics agency. Other countries use a bifurcated form, containing a section for legal information and a section for statistical information. With this type of form, the legal information is submitted to the registrar and the statistical information is submitted directly to the statistics agency.
Section 31 of the Births and Deaths Registration Act requires the medical practitioner who attended to the deceased, complete a certificate of cause of death and give this certificate to the person responsible for reporting the death (or informant). That person, which is a usually a family member of the deceased, is required to give the certificate to the registrar, who notes the cause of death in the death register. Under the MOH Circular, the form used for the certificate of Cause of Death is Form B33. Under Section 11 of the Births and Deaths Registration Act, each registrar of a division is required to send registration records to the Registrar General regularly. The law does not expressly require that the Registar General transmit cause of death information to the statistics agency.
For natural deaths that occurred under medical supervision but outside a health facility, does the law specify how cause of death information is transmitted to the civil registrar and/or statistics agency?
Yes for transmission of information to civil registrar
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
If the law obligates the certifier of cause of death to directly transmit an MCCD to the civil registrar and statistics agency, there are two policy objectives that are met. First, the efficient transmission of information provides the necessary information, including cause of death, to the civil registrar and statistics agency without placing an additional burden on an intermediary, often a mourning family, to convey the medical certificate of cause of death to the registrar. Second, certifiers of cause of death are less likely to modify sensitive cause of death information if fewer people have access to and knowledge of that potentially sensitive information.
Section 31 of the Births and Deaths Registration Act requires the medical practitioner who attended to the deceased, complete a certificate of cause of death and give this certificate to the person responsible for reporting the death (or informant). That person, which is a usually a family member of the deceased, is required to give the certificate to the registrar, who notes the cause of death in the death register. The Form used is Form J of the BDRA. Under Section 11 of the Births and Deaths Registration Act, each registrar of a division is required to send registration records to the Registrar General regularly. The law does not expressly require that the Registar General transmit cause of death information to the statistics agency.
For a death referred to the MLDI system, does the law specify how cause of death information is transmitted to the civil registrar and/or statistics agency?
Yes for transmission of information to civil registrar
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
Coordination among medical and legal authorities is crucial for the consistent management of unnatural and suspicious deaths and their timely registration in the civil registration system. Law enforcement, medical-legal authorities and emergency services must work closely and collaboratively to ensure that unnatural and suspicious deaths are promptly registered and that cause and manner of death are certified and reported to the registrar or national statistics agency. The medical certificate of cause of death should be transmitted to the registrar (or statistics authority) by the coroner or medical examiner.
Under Section 39 of Births and Deaths Registration Act, the Inquirer is required to submit the Inquirer's Certificate of Death (Form B18) to the registrar of division who registers the death. The submission of this notice certificate by inquirer should be within 5 days of completion of inquiry. However, note that Form B18 is not an MCCD. If a Judicial Medical Officer completes an MCCD/B33 in an MLDI case, the cause of death information from the MCCD will be given to the Inquirer into Sudden Deaths (ISD). The ISD uses this cause of death information complete Form B18. The registrar enters cause of death information from Form B18 into the death register. Copies of the death register are submitted monthly to the Registrar General (RG). The law does not specify how Form B33 reaches the RG/Statistical agency.
For cause of death determined from verbal autopsy, does the law specify how and to whom is the cause of death information is transmitted?
No
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
Verbal autopsies should only be used for statistical purposes and never legal purposes. Therefore, cause of death determined by the use of a verbal autopsy should only be transmitted to the statistics agency and used anonymously. Results of a verbal autopsy should not be transmitted to a civil registrar, unless a physician reviews the verbal autopsy and medical records of deceased, and is able to complete an MCCD.
