Coronavirus: Inter-Ministerial Central Team raises concern over high COVID-19 mortality rate in West Bengal

Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) leader Apurva Chandra in his letter on the team’s last day in West Bengal to the Chief Secretary said that the state has the highest mortality rate of COVID-19 patients in the country.

“At the same time, it raised the total death count of COVID-19 patients in the state to 105 on 30.4.2020. For a total reported number of 744+72=816 COVID-19 patients, the mortality rate of 12.8% is by far the highest in the country,” stated Chandra.

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He also stated that the “extremely high” mortality rate was a clear indication of “low testing and weak surveillance”.

Chandra said that the state government needs to be transparent in reporting figures of COVID-19 cases.

Referring to the Health Department bulletin issued on April 30 Chandra stated that the bulletin showed active COVID-19 cases as 572, discharged patients as 139 and expired directly due to COVID-19 as 33 which adds up to 744.

“In a communication to the Union Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) from the Principal Secretary health on the same day the total number of cases was indicated to be 931 leading to a discrepancy of 187 cases,” stated Chandra.

He urged the state government not to downplay the spread of COVID-19.

“The State needs to be transparent and consistent in reporting figures and not downplay the spread of the virus. The bulletins on May 1 and 2, 2020, does not even mention the total number of cases and deaths in the state,” stated Chandra.

The IMCT leader accused the state government of taking an “antagonistic view” to the Central team. Chandra on Monday stated that the state government has not supported the IMCT in performing its duties.

Chandra stated that the IMCT’s experience in other states is in contrast to that in West Bengal as in those states schedules of daily visits by the IMCT were prepared and the Central teams held meetings officials from the highest level of the state government to field level functionaries.