Kerala to review Covid-19 deaths underreporting complaints as concerns mount after SC's compensation order

A day after the Supreme Court ordered the Centre to provide compensation to families of Covid-19 victims, Kerala Health Minster Veena George said that the government would look into specific allegations of underreporting of deaths in the state.

While health experts say that at least 4,000 Covid-19 deaths in the state would have been underreported, state Health Department sources said that there was no chance of a major variation as many cases that were kept in abeyance for want of proper information were later cleared.

So far 13,359 Covid-19 deaths were officially recorded in Kerala, while 462 non-Covid-19 deaths were also recorded.

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Internal medicine specialist Dr N M Arun, who has been campaigning against the alleged underreporting of deaths, said that he had personally collected data of around 1,500 Covid-19 deaths in Kerala that were not recorded by the government. He also cited some recent reports that over 15,000 excess deaths were reported in Kerala till May this year compared to last year.

Meanwhile, a Health Department official said that a report of the department in February stated that the total deaths in Kerala in 2020 was 11 per cent less compared to that of 2019. He however said that many Covid-19 deaths could not have been reported owing to incomplete information from the hospital, especially missing of Specimen Referral Form identification number (SRF ID), which is generated when a person has tested Covid-19 positive. This issue was addressed by switching over to a totally online system from last month. Many cases that were kept in abeyance for want of data earlier were also cleared in the due course. Hence the chances of a large number of under-reporting were not there, said the senior official.

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With the plight of many families who lost a lone breadwinner to Covid-19 but were not considered as Covid-19 death due to 'flimsy' reasons coming to light, the Opposition Congress is also pressing the state government to have a review of the underreported cases. Opposition leader V D Satheesan said that the government should ensure that dependents of all Covid-19 victims received due compensation rather than trying to keep the death rate low for earning appreciations.

Health Minister reacted that the state government's aim was also to extend the maximum benefits to all Covid-19-infected and victims' families. Hence it would review all specific complaints of underreporting. The state government has nothing to hide, she added.