Death toll Due To The Pandemic in major Tamil Nadu Govt hospitals Goes Underreported, says NGO

The NGO 'Arappor Iyakkam' asked the State Government to take corrective action after presenting their report, which revealed widespread underreporting of COVID-19 mortality in major Tamil Nadu Government Hospitals.

According to the recommendations, the government should direct hospitals to provide medical certificates for the cause of death (MCCD) in accordance with ICMR criteria. It went on to say that the lack of such certifications deprives families of victims of their right to seek compensation from the government.

The research was done by comparing the data for the years 2019, 2020, and 2021 from January to May death certificates. Madurai, Coimbatore, Trichy, Vellore, Karur, and Tiruppur were among the six hospitals for which they found the necessary information.

Their assumption is that, due to population growth, death data would only stay the same or slightly increase. COVID-19 is the sole primary cause of the dramatic increase they have noticed.

The report says according to the State-wide estimation based on April-May deaths, 8.4 to 8.8 times the same underreporting factor took place, and possibly 1.08 -1.25 lakh deaths were suspected, which is opposing the reported deaths of 12,943.

According to April-May 2019 mortality figures, 4,437 people died, whereas 3,261 people died in 2020. It is 11,699 for the period April to May 2021. Meanwhile, according to the NGO's daily Health Department briefing, the total number of deaths in these facilities is just 863.

The NGO suggested that the government release death certificates, mortality data, and their consolidation for hospital and home deaths for all three years - 2019, 2020, and 2021 as a remedial measure.