MP: Covid claims 334 teachers lives

The second wave of

Covid-19 pandemic that hit Madhya Pradesh a couple of months ago has claimed lives of at least

334 school teachers in the state.

“We have gathered district-wise data on the death of school teachers in MP till April 20. According to the data, total 334 school teachers died of Covid-19 till April

20 since the second wave of pandemic hit the state two months ago.

But, the death toll has almost doubled to 655 in the last ten days as per the latest data compiled by our organisation”, MP teachers’ Congress spokesman Subhash Saxena told this newspaper.

However, the state government has disputed the toll figure of 655.

“It is true Coronavirus has

that caused the death of some school teachers. But, the casualty figure of 655 appears highly inflated. The department has developed a system to compile data on deceased staff of schools deployed in Covid duty”, a senior officer of the state school education department said unwilling to be quoted.

The state government has deployed government teachers in Covid duty due to shortage of health department staff when the second wave of pandemic hit the state a couple of months ago.

Teachers, principals and other staff of government schools in the state have been deployed in various Covid duties such as door-to-door survey to detect suspected cases, collection of samples, supervision of containment zones and screening of passengers of buses and other vehicles passing through the check posts in district and state borders two months ago.