Over 2,000 Covid-19 deaths since April 1
RANCHI: Jharkhand, which has been witnessing more than 100 deaths due to Covid-19 daily for last 11 days, on Tuesday reported its highest ever mortality rate of 1.24%, more than the national average of 1.10%.
While the unprecedented surge in number of casualties in last 34 days played havoc across the state, health experts opine that the spike in cases will lead to a corresponding surge in deaths. With 132 casualties reported on Tuesday, the state’s Covid-19 toll climbed to 3,205, including 2,092 deaths in last 34 days between April 1 and May 4.
The state, which discovered it’s first one lakh cases in a period of seven months between March 31 and October 27 last year, detected the same number of cases in merely one month in April this year. The increase in mortality rate was more disturbing, as the state recorded more number of deaths in these 34 days than the first 12 months of the pandemic’s outbreak combined.
While Jharkhand registered a total of 1,113 Covid-19 deaths till March 31 this year, it added another 2,092 deaths in between April 1 and May 4.
Besides, the state was adding over 100 deaths daily for the last 11 days, sending shock waves across every section of the society. On May 1, it logged its highest ever single-day spike in the toll with 159 deaths.
The rising number of cases in the state has put health care and services in crisis, causing trouble to patients with many of them dying for want of adequate and timely treatment.
The state was also facing acute shortage of oxygen supported beds. Many deaths were allegedly caused due to nonavailability of oxygen to needy patients.
However, health experts suggest that the high number of deaths can be averted by taking preventive measures and timely medical intervention.
“The number of deaths will largely depend on the number of cases in a given period of time, the infrastructure to match and accommodate the surge without diluting the quality of care,” said Dr RK Jha, former professor and head, department of medicine, Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences
(RIMS), Ranchi.
He added, “It is also possible that this new Covid-19 strain-Indian and UK variants--is far more infectious and difficult to detect through the conventional RT-PCR / RAT. No wonder many deaths took place due to late diagnosis or death outside hospital due to denial of admission to such cases.”
Dr Dewesh Kumar, assistant professor of department of preventive and social medicine, RIMS, said, “The infection spread is wide. So, with rise in cases, deaths will also increase. This is a pan-India scenario. The high number of deaths could have been averted had there been adequate preparations. It is suggestive to start taking medicines with the first advent of symptoms in order to ward off fatality. Every fever, diarrhoea and other symptoms should be considered as Covid-19.”
Capital city Ranchi, which is the hardest hit by the pandemic, reported the maximum 741 out of the total 2,092 deaths in the last 34 days.
The high number of deaths could have been averted had there been adequate preparations
DR DEWESH KUMAR, Assistant professor at RIMS
NTPC provides health infrastructure support
National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Pakri Barwadih Coal Mining Project, Hazaribagh, has come forward to provide assistance to RIMS in installation of oxygen piping system to convert a four-storied unit (16 wards) with additional 332 oxygen equipped beds.
Under its CSR initiative, the corporation is extending financial support of ₹45 lakh. The work is in progress and around 150 beds will be ready for admission this week, officials said.
NTPC was also assisting Hazaribagh’s Seikh Bhikari Medical College to facilitate and install a centralized oxygen system in identified wards to support 84 beds for critical care.