Lifestyle

AYUSH doctors can also issue death certificates at home, major guidelines from the state health department

• By A Correspondent, Kolkata
• October 09, 2026
• 1053

The West Bengal State Health Department has put an end to a long-standing ambiguity regarding who can issue a death certificate if a person dies at home or outside the hospital. The department has clarified that, if specific conditions are met, not only allopathic (MBBS) doctors but also qualified doctors of homeopathy and Indian system of medicine (AYUSH) are legally entitled to issue this certificate. On Wednesday, October 7, an important clarification notification was issued by the 'State Bureau of Health Intelligence' under the State Health Department.

There was confusion among a section of district-level administrative officers and doctors regarding a phrase used in sub-rule 5(4) of the recently notified 'West Bengal Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Rules, 2026'. The Health Building took this strict and clear step to clear up that confusion.

The guidelines state that only those AYUSH doctors who are legally registered in the State Register of West Bengal and who are legally entitled to practice medicine can issue this certificate. This right will not automatically apply to any doctor. For issuing a death certificate, it is necessary for the concerned doctor to have recognized educational qualifications, active and valid registration and legal authorization. 

This clarification has been given based on Section 10 of the original 'Birth and Death Registration Act' of 1969 and the Amendment Act of 2023. The Health Department's explanation is that while judging the eligibility criteria, the overall legal recognition and qualification of the doctor should be considered, without looking at any wording of the law in isolation.

The State Health Department has sent this guideline to the Municipal Commissioners of all the Municipal Corporations, District Registrars of all the districts and District Magistrates of the state. All the field level government officials involved in the registration of births and deaths have been instructed to follow this uniform interpretation across the state. 

As a result of this major decision of the state, from now on, if someone dies at home before being taken to the hospital, their relatives will no longer have to face harassment to obtain a death certificate. In the vast rural and suburban areas where AYUSH doctors play a major role, the suffering of the common people will be greatly reduced, informed sources believe.