Thiruvananthapuram: There is growing criticism against the government’s decision to not include on the COVID-19 death list the names of those who tested positive for the disease but died of other reasons.
This ‘classification’, which was absent in the first five months since the pandemic started in Kerala, has been evident over the past two weeks. According to district sources, 39 people who had died and were positive have not yet been included in the government's COVID death list. Of these, 31 died after July 20.
The government has said that COVID was not the cause of death in more than 30 per cent of people who were positive.
According to the government's list, the death toll due to COVID till Sunday was 82.
Even those who tried plasma therapy but did not survive have been left out of the death list.
The chief minister said that the COVID deaths was being listed as per the guidelines of the World Health Organization.
The World Health Organization guidelines are clear:
1.Until a person determined to be COVID positive dies of a completely different reason, like an accident, the death should be considered as having been caused by the viral infection.
2.Although there are other diseases such as cancer that can exacerbate the COVID disease, those conditions cannot be said to be the cause of death.
3.If the death is due to some other direct cause, such as a heart disease, and if COVID contributes to the death, then COVID should be listed as the second leading cause of death.
11 deaths on Sunday, but govt confirms just 1
Nine people died while undergoing treatment for COVID in Kerala on Sunday, while COVID was confirmed in two others after their deaths.
But the name of only one person, Vijayalakshmi (68), a resident of Parasala in Thiruvananthapuram, who died while undergoing treatment, has been added to the COVID death list of the government.
Sajith (41), of Thalamunda, Chakkarakkal, who died at the Government Medical College in Pariyaram, Kannur, had tested positive on July 29 when he was about to be discharged after being treated for pneumonia.
A close relative who was with him at the hospital, has also been confirmed with COVID.
Here is the district-wise list of unconfirmed COVID-19 deaths on Sunday:
Thiruvananthapuram: Cletus (80), a native of Vadakkod in Neyyattinkara
Alappuzha: Sasidharan (52) of Erumakuzhy, Nooranad
Ernakulam: CK Gopi (70), of Chakkalapparambil, in Keezhmadu, Aluva
Kozhikode: Chathoth Purushothaman (63), of Thattolikkara, Eramala; Chattipurakandi Prabhakaran (73), and Puthukkazhipadam, Nallur
Kasaragod: T Assinar Haji (73) from Udumbunthala, Thrikkarippur; Sherabhanu (76) from Bappai Thotti, Uppala.
In Idukki, COVID has been established as the cause of death of a housewife who was undergoing treatment, district health officials said. But, the government has not confirmed it as a COVID death.
Similarly, Elikutty Devasya (58) died at Vattupara, Nedunkandam, who died on July 30, has not been considered a COVID victim.
Rosamma (94), the wife of late Mathai Pylee of Athirampuzha Thekkeparambil in Kottayam, was found to be COVID positive in a test done after her death, but does not figure on the government list.
COVID-19 victims in Kerala (Updated on August 2, 2020)
COVID-19 has so far claimed 84 lives in Kerala. However, only 82 people were included in the government's official list.
Government's list (This does not include names of those who had comorbidities)
82. Vijayalakshmi (68, Thiruvananthapuram)
81. Koyamu (82, Kondotty, Malappuram)
80. KP Abdul Rahman (72, Kasaragod)
79. Babu (62, Thiruvananthapuram)
78. Noushad (49, Kozhikode)
77. Asma Beevi (73, Kollam)
76. Chandran (56, Thrissur)
75. MP Asharaf (52)
74. Sister Angel (81, Ernakulam)
73. Rukmini (59, Kollam)
72. Eliyamma (85, Ernkaulam)
71. Baihaiki (59, Ernakulam)
70. Bipathu (65, Ernakulam)
69. Alikoya (77, Kozhikode)
68. Kutti Hassan (67, Malappuram)
67. Abubakar (72, Ernakulam)
66. Selvamani (65, Thiruvananthapuram)
65. Sainudheen (70, Alappuzha)
64. Abdurahman (65, Kasaragod)
63. Mohammad (61, Kozhikode)
62. Ouseph George (85, Kottayam)
61. Varghese (71, Irinjalakkuda in Thrissur)
60. Abdul Khader (71, a resident of Tirurangadi in Malappuram)
59. Annie Antony (76, Kakkanad in Ernakulam)
58. Anjali Surendran (40, Payyallur in Palakkad)
57. Nabeesa (63, Padannakkad in Kasaragod)
56. Rukhiyabi (67, Karaparambu, Kozhikode)
55. Muhammed Koya (58, Kozhikode)
54. Madhavan (67, Chittari in Kasaragod)
53. Murukan (46, Chirayinkeezhu in Thiruvananthapuram)
52. Mariyamma (85, Kalavoor in Alappuzha)
51. Khairunnisa (48, Anangoor in Kasaragod)
50. Koyotti (57, Kallayi, Kozhikode)
49. Rahiyanath Beevi (58, Kulashekharaparam near Karunagappally, Kollam)
48. Sadanandan (60, Vilakottoor, Kannur)
47. Lakshmi Kunjanpilla (79, Vadakkathanath, Muvattupuzha, Ernakulam)
46. Raveendran (73, Nenjankuzhi near Parassala, Thiruvananthapuram)
45. Kunjuveeran (67, Aluva, Ernakulam)
44. Narayanan (75, Ayyappankovil in Idukki)
43. Nafisa, (75, Uppala, Kasaragod)
42. Baburaj (60, Thiruvananthapuram)
41. Sister Claire (73, Ernakulam)
40. Victoria (72, Pulluvila, Thiruvananthapuram)
39. Shyju (46, Pullur, Thrissur)
38. B Aneesh (39, Thrissur)
37. Mohammed Saleeh (25, Kannur)
36. Valsamma Joy (59, Idukki)
35. Naseer Usmankutty (47, Alappuzha)
34. Thyagarajan (74, Kollam)
33. Ayesha Hajjumma (64, Kannur)
32. Aruldas (70, Poonthura, Thiruvananthapuram)
31. P K Balakrishnan Nair (79, Pulluvazhy, Ernakulam)
30. Saifudeen (67, Thiruvananthapuram)
29. Babu (52, Alappuzha)
28. Valsala (63, Thrissur)
27. Yusuf (66, Thoppumpady, Ernakulam)
26. Mohammad (82, Wandoor, Malappuram)
25. Krishnan (68, Nadakkavu, Kozhikode)
24. Thankappan, (76, Nettayam, Thiruvananthapuram)
23. Arasagaran (55, Tamil Nadu native died at Manjeri Medical College, Malappuram)
22. Vasanthakumar (68, Mayyanad, Kollam)
21. Sunil Padiyur (28, Blathur, Kannur)
20. S Rameshan (67, Vanchiyoor, Thiruvananthapuram)
19. Hussain (71, Irikkur, Kannur)
18. P K Mohammed (70, Iritty, Kannur)
17. Dinny Chacko (41, Chalakkudy, Thrissur)
16. Kumaran (87, Engandiyoor, Thrissur)
15. E Hamza Koya (61, Malappuram; former Santosh Trophy footballer)
14. Shabnas (27, Edappal, Malappuram)
13. Meenakshi Ammal (73, Palakkad)
12. Father K G Varghese (77, Nalanchira, Thiruvananthapuram)
11. Xavier (65, Kavanad, Kollam)
10. Sulaikha (56, Kozhikode)
9. Jose Joy (39, Pandanad, Chengannur, Alappuzha)
8. Joshy (65, Thiruvalla, Pathanamthitta)
7. Telangana native (68, died in Thiruvananthapuram)
6. Asiya (62, Kannur)
5. Amina (53, Wayanad)
4. Khadeejakkutty (73, Thrissur)
3. Four-month-old baby (Malappuram)
2. Abdul Azeez (68, Thiruvananthapuram)
1. Yakub Husain Sait (69, Ernakulam)
Excluded from Kerala government's list & reason
1. Mehroof (67, Mahe, UT of Puducherry; died at Government Medical College in Pariyaram, Kannur)
(Kerala did not include him in the official list since he hailed from Union Territory of Puducherry. The decision, however, contradicts the Centre's directive that COVID-19 deaths should be recorded at the place of occurance irrespective of which state the person hailed from).
2. B A Abdul Rahman (Mogral Puthur, Kasaragod) - July 7, 2020
(Abdul Rahman was living in Hubli in Karnataka. He died while being taken to the Government Hospital in Kasaragod on the day he arrived from Hubli. District collector had said that Rahman died in transit and he was not living in Kasaragod and hence his name would not be included in Kerala's list).
