Kerala offers to review virus deaths after protests
TRIVANDRUM: The Kerala government has agreed to review all deaths related to COVID-19 infections following widespread protests against large-scale omissions.
Experts and opposition politicians have been accusing the authorities of manipulating data as part of propaganda to earn international accolades.
Kerala remains the worst-hit state in India despite that it had robust health infrastructure developed over many decades.
It now reports the highest number of daily new cases and second highest in patients under treatment (101,343) ater the much larger state of Maharashtra (119,558).
Kerala’s weekly test-positivity rate is 10.33 per cent while it is 2.64 nationally and the state accounted for 28 per cent of India’s 48,786 new cases reported on Thursday.
However, the death toll is comparatively low, 13,235 by the latest count, which critics say is a far cry from reality.
The Opposition alleges that a ‘death review panel’ of officials siting in the state capital here were dropping patients with comorbidities on the list sent by district authorities.
“Even families of some government doctors have to face this kind of treatment by the health authorities,” said Dr SS Lal, a public health expert and Congress party leader.
“In one case, the doctors’ union had to threaten to launch agitation against the omission of the death of one of their colleagues and thus denying insurance payout.”
Ater the Supreme Court judgement directing the government to compensate families for the death of their members, several people came out against the omissions.
Many of them were badly hit by prolonged lockdowns and loss of jobs due to economic slowdown.
They said their loved ones were given funerals strictly following the COVID protocol as directed by the health authorities.
The government hospitals refuse to certify COVID-19 deaths if the patient dies ater they tested negative for the virus, which is the case with many. Experts say at least three-fourths of deaths might have thus been excluded this way, denying compensation to the families.
The opposition alleges that the state has formulated a protocol of its own disregarding the directions of the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR).