Mystery shrouds Covid death figures in Chittoor district

Tirupati: Mystery shrouds the daily number of official Covid deaths and the actual deaths in Chittoor district. Though there was a huge criticism about the number of Covid deaths elsewhere in the state and even in many other states as well, a close observation of the daily death toll in district clearly indicates the fact that many deaths were not being reported in the official bulletins of the government daily.

The district tops the list of Covid deaths in the state since last year and continues the same position even now with a total death toll of 1,076 deaths with Krishna being the second with 850. On Friday, the official bulletin mentioned only eight deaths from 9 am on Thursday to 9 am on Friday in Chittoor district while Ruia hospital's daily report indicated 27 deaths.

In addition to this, Covid deaths might be reported in SVIMS which is a state Covid hospital where serious cases from even neighbouring districts are admitted. Deaths are also taking place at other government Covid hospitals and private hospitals as well besides some deaths may be happening among those under home quarantine.

As every Covid patient is on an official tracking system whether they are admitted in government or private hospitals or Covid care centres or sent for home quarantine, any death should also be on a tracker including those under home isolation. Only those who undergo Covid test with wrong credentials and are under unofficial home quarantine could not be tracked by the government system.

Still it became a question mark on why so many Covid deaths were going unnoticed in the state bulletins. Leaving all other deaths aside and taking only Ruia hospital's official figures into consideration the discrepancy can clearly be explained.

On May 10 Ruia report showed 47 deaths while the state bulletin had only 18. On the next day Ruia had 24 deaths as against the state bulletin's eight. On May 12 Ruia had 20 deaths while the state bulletin reported only nine.

Govinda Dhamam gas crematorium in Tirupati where nowadays only Covid bodies are being cremated receiving about 15-20 bodies everyday. Harischandra cemetery is getting almost the same number if not more. There were several other orphan bodies being cremated by a Muslim youth organisation in which local MLA B Karunakar Reddy also taking part with a kind heart.

Officials were not in a position to explain the valid reasons for these discrepancies in the death toll but said that their sample ID numbers are not clear or they belong to other districts.

They were even saying that all of them are not Covid deaths. A doctor commented that he could not understand why the government is hiding so many deaths.

They might be thinking that if they report so many deaths people may panic. But it is important to maintain transparency which will make the people more cautious.