Is there a delay in accounting for coronavirus deaths in Tamil Nadu?

Is there a delay in accounting for coronavirus deaths in Tamil Nadu?

In the past few weeks, some deaths have not figured in the bulletin, analyses Express

Published: 08th June 2020 03:17 AM | Last Updated: 08th June 2020 03:17 AM | 

Health workers busy taking nosal swab samples from a woman or COVID-19 test at a Public Health Laboratory and Health Care Center at Egmore in Chennai. (Photo | Debadatta Mallick/EPS)

By OMJASVIN M DExpress News Service

CHENNAI: The State has so far been publishing daily health bulletins with the number of Covid-19 cases and deaths. However, in the past few weeks, some deaths caused due to the virus have not yet appeared in the bulletin. Express came across four such cases - three from Chennai and one from Madurai - that were not mentioned in the bulletin.

According to the death certificate accessed by Express, a 41-year-old man from Old Washermenpet passed away on June 3 at a private hospital near Kattankulathur. The deceased bank-employee, who did not have comorbidity too, had Covid-19 and died of viral pneumonitis. His family members said the patient was admitted to the Stanley Medical College Hospital on May 25 and later shifted to a private hospital on May 28. “The burial also took place on June 3 evening itself. The body was directly sent by the hospital to the burial ground and we witnessed the proceedings from a faraway distance,’’ said the deceased’s elder brother.

In a similar incident, a 76-year-old patient from Ambattur, admitted at the KMCH, passed away on May 26 due to Covid-19, according to the medical report issued by the hospital. His family members said he was admitted at KMCH on May 18 and after four days, his fever only got worse and he was moved to the Intensive Care Unit. He died on May 26. However, even though it has been 10 days, his death case has not appeared in the bulletin.

In Madurai, a 72-year-old woman, a resident of Tamil Nadu Housing Board in Anuppanadi, Madurai, with fever and shortness of breath, was tested positive on June 4 at a private hospital. Sources close to the family said she was referred to the Government Rajaji Hospital at 5.50 pm. Hospital authorities confirmed she died the same day at 10:35pm due to respiratory failure and sepsis. However, this case too has not been mentioned yet.

Similarly, a 63-year-old man from Chennai who had gone to Koodankulam in Tirunelveli district on May 23 for his son’s marriage, fainted during the marriage the next day, hospital sources said. He was taken to a nearby hospital and was declared dead.

Koodankulam police brought the body as a medico-legal case (MLC) to Kanyakumari government medical college hospital on May 24. As the body was brought in as MLC, a throat sample was taken and the deceased tested positive. The body was cremated in Nagercoil on Monday but this death has not been mentioned in the bulletin yet. When contacted, officials of the death audit team said, “There may be a delay but we have not missed any deaths. We will review these cases,’’ the official said.

Director of Public Health Dr TS Selvavinayagam said that he will look into the issue. Details of this has been shared to him.

Official reply

When contacted, officials of the death audit team said, “There may be a delay but we have not missed any deaths. We will review these cases” Director of public health said he will look into the issue

(Inputs:Lalitha Ranjani @Madurai, M Abdul Rabi @Nagercoil).