12 Jun 2021  |   06:02am IST

WHO ERRED IN REPORTING OF COVID-19 DEATHS?

The death toll due to COVID-19 in the State took a 

huge leap this week, not because the number of 

cases suddenly rose, but because over two days

72 deaths that occurred between August 2020 

and June 2021 were added to the number. These deaths occurred 

at private hospitals and were not reported to the 

State health authorities that led to the underreporting of

pandemic fatalities. The government has now issued notices 

of show cause to ten private hospitals for the delay in 

reporting the COVID-19 deaths and has threatened action 

against the hospitals. The delay in reporting came to light

following a verification exercise. 

In a State where it is mandatory for hospitals and nursing 

homes to register every birth and every death with the

local authority, this delay in reporting is surprising. Not 

surprising is that the Association of Private Nursing Homes 

has categorically stated that there was no deliberate attempt 

to hide deaths as there is nothing to be gained by

hospitals in not reporting. Besides, the association added, 

every death certificate has the cause of death without 

which no final rites can take place. Therefore, where did 

the delay in reporting occur? Was it with the hospitals or 

was it an administrative lapse with the State authorities? 

Yet, in the current pandemic situation where the death 

toll has come close to 2900 cases, the under reporting is 

the least pressing of the issues. No doubt the private hospitals 

will have to explain why there was this delay and

government can take action, the fact that the government 

corrected the figures adding the deaths to the total toll 

does signify that there is an attempt not to fudge figures. 

In a small State like Goa, deaths would be difficult to hide, 

and it is interesting that the Chief Minister Dr Pramod 

Sawant says that Goa is the only State in the country which 

has recorded every single Covid death, which led to the 

impression that the State had a high mortality rate when 

compared to other States. But when he says that, is he alleging

that other States have not been revealing the correct  mortality figures? 

Underreporting of COVID-19 deaths in India has come

in the focus, with a US university study suspecting that 

COVID-19 deaths in India could be three times the 

recorded number. India, however, is not the only country 

that has been the focus of study for underreporting

COVID-19 fatalities with the United States, United Kingdom 

and Russia also in this list. Across the world the number 

of deaths is estimated to be over 100 per cent of those 

recorded. Goa, in this performs better with even deaths in

home isolation reported. “There is not a single COVID 

death which has not been recorded in PHCs,” the Chief 

Minister said. But, that may not be the case in all States as 

National media reports have counted far more burials and

cremations on a single day than the number of deaths 

recorded by States and there have been half cremated bodies 

washed ashore in Bihar. 

The importance of having the correct figures of cases and 

deaths is not to frighten the people or cause gloom in a society 

that is already struggling with the pandemic, but to 

help the government prepare to meet what is coming next.

India, as did Goa, relaxed after the first wave, but the shattering 

second wave has alerted the State to already 

strengthen the health infrastructure for the predicted third 

wave. The number of deaths in Goa that remained unreported

was not that huge, but it still makes a difference. It 

also raises the possibility of positive cases that may have 

gone unreported, and this is a concern. If now in Goa every 

death has been reported, has also every case been reported?