TN’s death count may be 9 times more, shows study by NGO

In the Citizen’s Research Report on COVID Deaths in Tamil Nadu released by Arappor Iyakkam, the analysis of deaths at government hospitals in Madurai, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Tiruchy, Vellore and Karur, which is available online, shows that the number of death certificates issued in April and May stands at 4,437 and 3,261 for 2019 and 2020 respectively. It has increased drastically to 11,699 in 2021.

The report found that there has been an increase of at least 7,262 deaths in April and May 2021, compared to the April and May of 2019. Compared to 2020, the increase in deaths stands at 8,438. On the other hand, the number of COVID deaths in April and May 2021 declared in the media bulletin of the Department of Health and Family Welfare is only 863 in these six hospitals.

The report, therefore, finds that the number of all deaths in these six hospitals is 13.5 times more than the declared COVID deaths. The report finds that the likely underreporting of COVID deaths in these hospitals is at least 8.4 to 9.8 times.

Noting that underreporting of deaths could have happened across the State, the report said the State government has declared 12,943 deaths for April and May 2021 as of June 13. “Approximating the same underreporting factor of 8.4 to 9.8 times for the entire State, the likely number of deaths due to COVID in TN may be between 1,08,721 and 1,26,841 against the reported number of 12,943,” it claimed.

The report called for an independent committee to audit and immediately correct the underreporting of COVID deaths and reissue certificates with the cause of death for all patients who died of COVID. “A simple grievance redressal mechanism for relatives of those who died possibly due to COVID must be set up and the independent committee should resolve the complaints, direct hospitals to issue/reissue the medical certificate for the cause of death (MCCD) immediately. Hospitals should, within a fixed timeline, issue or reissue MCCD,” it demanded.