Alleged under-reporting of Covid cases in Kerala may deny assistance to many orphaned children

While over 40 children in Kerala were so far identified to be orphaned due to Covid, the alleged under-reporting of Covid cases in the state is likely to deny the assistance announced by the Centre and state to many.

The initial estimation regarding the number of children orphaned in Kerala due to Covid was nine. However, sources in the Kerala Women and Child Development Department said that as many as 42 children were so far found to be orphaned due to Covid. Apart from instances of losing father and mother, there are cases where children who were under the care of grand parents or any relatives losing their guardians to Covid.

Right from the initial months of the pandemic, Kerala government has been facing allegations of under-reporting Covid deaths. This has now become all the more important as apprehensions are being raised by child rights activists and opposition parties that many children may miss the assistance owing to the under reporting of Covid.

While the number of Covid death in Kerala is 8,455, the state had also formally recorded 391 death as non-Covid deaths citing that the cause of death was not Covid, but other comorbid factors. Health activists have been alleging that the actual number of Covid deaths in Kerala was much higher. State health department officials had been justifying the Covid death reporting protocol maintaining that the guidelines of WHO and ICMR were being followed.

Kerala leader of Opposition V D Satheesan had raised the issue recently. He said that apart from the non-Covid deaths being recorded by the government, many die due to post Covid complications. He demanded the government to have a review of the Covid death reporting so that no children orphaned due to the pandemic was denied of the assistance.

A senior official of the Kerala Women and Child Development Department told DH that they haven't gone to the details of children orphaned due to non-Covid deaths. Kerala Health Minister Veena George could not be reached for her comments.

While the centre announced an assistance of Rs 10 lakh, health insurance of Rs 5 lakh till the age of 18 and education loan to children orphaned by Covid, Kerala government announced assistance of Rs 3 lakh each, monthly assistance of Rs 2,000 till the age of 18 and free education up to graduation.

Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KeSCPCR) former member advocate J Sandhya said that it was the legal obligation of the government to take care of all children who were orphaned. Hence the assistance being announced by the state and centre to orphaned children need not be considered as an act of charity or generosity.