Covid deaths: 7,000 people from 6 districts in Kerala left out from the list

Family members and relatives perform burial of a COVID-19 victim, at a graveyard in Karad
Image for representation only. Photo: PTI/File

Thiruvananthapuram: More evidence has emerged on the allegations that the government has been hiding Covid death figures in the state. Around 7,000 people from six districts were reportedly not included in the list.

Not everyone who was Covid positive at the time of death have been included in the list. If they had any other illness, they were omitted while citing that.

Hundreds of Covid-infected had developed pneumonia. Even though they tested negative for Covid, they died after the pneumonia aggravated. These people are not on the list either. If this is continued, then several people, including the poor, would be excluded from the compensation list. The Supreme Court has ruled that the families of those who died of Covid were entitled for ex-gratia compensation.

In Kozhikode district, 2,096 people died of Covid till May. But only 914 in official figures. At the Alappuzha Medical College Hospital alone, 1,480 people died till June 30. Apart from this, 734 died while under treatment after testing negative. But in the official figures, only 1,004 deaths in the entire Alappuzha district.

A total of 1,277 people died in Ernakulam, as per government data. But the figures compiled by the local bodies show over 2,500 Covid deaths. The official death toll in Kollam is 912 but the local bodies' figure is at 2528. In Kottayam, the official toll is at 525 but 540 deaths were not included in the list.

The official death toll in Thiruvananthapuram district is 2,959, but the actual figures would cross 4,000. Around 2,200 people who died of Covid were cremated just at the Santhi Kavadam crematorium at Thycaud in the Thiruvananthapuram corporation. Only those who wished to cremate the deceased went to Santhi Kavadam. Many deceased were laid to rest at the house premises or at the local burial grounds.

Govt gives in: Names to be published
The government has decided to resume publishing the list with the names of those who died due to Covid in the state.

Health Minister Veena George has said that the names, age and place will be published district-wise from Saturday.

Earlier, the names of the deceased were also published along with the death toll every day. But in the bulletins of the health department after December 22, 2020, only details such as district, male/female and age were published. Due to this, it was not possible to find out who was on the list and who all were excluded. Also, there was no chance to complain against the omission as the names were not published. As this led to criticisms, the decision was changed.

On revealing the names, the minister's reply on Friday morning was that the issues related to privacy and the relatives' stance should also be taken into consideration. But a hurried decision was taken late in the evening after opposition leader V D Satheesan, among others, criticised the ‘hiding’ of names.

Earlier in the day, opposition Congress and BJP alleged mismatch in the Covid deaths reported in the state and accused the government of projecting a 'fabricated' figure. BJP state president K Surendran also alleged that the Pinarayi Vijayan government had excluded Covid deaths from the official records and that the state was violating the ICMR norms in this regard from the beginning.

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