Data on COVID deaths being fudged, alleges EPS

AIADMK senior and Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami on Friday said that the state government has been fudging data on the number of COVID-19 deaths in Tamil Nadu.

“The state government has been hiding COVID deaths. Showing a reduced death count may not help in creating awareness among the people. Patients are dying in ambulances while waiting for admission in hospitals. And, families have been queuing up in front of crematoriums,” he told media after inspecting the Salem Government Hospital.

Claiming that migration of people from cities to villages after announcement of intensified lockdown has caused the rapid spread of the virus in rural areas too, the former chief minister said that people entering villages should be tested for COVID-19 as was done during AIADMK rule.

To keep the pandemic under control, efforts on war footing should be taken to increase fever camps, set up more treatment centres and ramp up beds with oxygen supply and increase testing to three lakhs per day. Pointing out those beds with medical oxygen supply has been filled up in all the government hospitals in Salem district, he urged the government to bring the 500-bed treatment facility at Salem Steel Plant to use at the earliest.

Stating that there are just 3,800 beds in all COVID-19 treatment facilities across Salem district, the AIADMK leader however said that the government has making

Claiming migration of people from cities to villages before intensified lockdown has caused the rapid spread of the virus in rural areas, EPS said that those entering villages must be tested

wrong claims of having 11,500 beds. “The government should declare the number of beds available in each Assembly constituency in the district,” he added.

He also demanded that COVID-19 test results should be declared within 24 hours. “Oxygen shortage prevails in Attur GH, which should be rectified. Also, adequate oxygen supply should be given to private hospitals in the district,” he said.