Is Tamil Nadu under-reporting COVID-19 deaths?

At least 200 deaths of COVID-19 patients in Chennai in the last few weeks have not been added to Tamil Nadu’s COVID-19 death toll, leading to doubts about whether the state government was under-reporting moralities due to the virus.

While the health department put the number of deaths due to COVID-19 in the state capital till June 9 at 244, the death registry maintained by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), according to reports, says the figure is more than 400.

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After several media reports, a complaint by an anti-corruption activist and a tweet by Leader of Opposition M K Stalin, the government has finally come around to say that it will reconcile the numbers and add them to the state’s COVID-19 death tally, if any, after a “thorough review.”

The Department of Public Health (DPH) on Tuesday constituted a committee that will scrutinise the death records maintained by the GCC and conclude.

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On Sunday, Stalin had taken to Twitter to allege that the Tamil Nadu government was “under-reporting” COVID-19 deaths quoting figures released by the “Intelligence Department.”

Posting the number of deaths officially declared by the government as well as from an “intelligence report”, Stalin alleged 232 deaths have not been added to the COVID-19 tally till June 4 and asked the administration to find out whether “community transmission has begun” in the city and advised it to take remedial steps to prevent further spread of coronavirus.

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An “unofficial” report of the GCC accessed by DH showed the total COVID-19 deaths in Chennai till June 4 as 398, while the death toll mentioned in the daily health bulletin released on the day was just 167. If the deaths recorded by the GCC are added to the state’s Covid-19 death toll, the mortality rate in the state will shoot up to 1.5 % from the current 0.88 %.

“The reconciliation process is on and whatever needs to be done at the end of the day will be done. After the reconciliation process and a thorough review is completed, we will add the numbers, if any, (to the official COVID-19 death figures),” Dr T S Selva Vinayagam, Director of Public Health, told DH.

Read: Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths on June 10

The government’s admission that there could have been a discrepancy came after Jayaram Venkatesan of Arappor Iyakkam wrote to Health Secretary Dr Beela Rajesh alleging “under-reporting” of COVID-19 deaths by furnishing details of three patients whose deaths have not been added to the COVID-19 tally despite their “mortuary card” confirming that they succumbed to the virus.

While officials and doctors said the discrepancy could be a result of “miscommunication” between various government agencies and hospitals, Venkatesan feels it could be a design to under-report deaths in the city.

“We feel COVID-19 deaths are being under-reported in Chennai and the three cases we cited in our letter is just an example. It does not like a clerical error and seems to be a pattern to the hide deaths due to Covid-19 in the city. Deaths reported in government hospitals have also not been added to the official figures which raises more doubts,” Venkatesan told DH.

A senior doctor, who retired from government service a year ago, told DH he was not able to understand how the discrepancy took place.

“The Corporation would have recorded the deaths as due to COVID-19 only based on the declaration by the doctor who signs the document. And if these documents say the deaths are due to COVID-19, then there is no denying of the fact that deaths have been under-reported,” he said.

Another public expert, who also did not wish to come on record, it was shocking to know over 200 deaths have not been accounted for.

“I really cannot understand how this can happen. And 200 is a huge number. The government should find out why such a discrepancy took place,” the expert said.