Odisha 24th in medically certified deaths

The total registered deaths was 3,62,982 in 2020 of which 59,269 were medically certified deaths.
Image used for representational purpose only. (Express Illustrations)
Image used for representational purpose only. (Express Illustrations)

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha is among the bottom 10 states in terms of the percentage of medically certified deaths to registered deaths as not even a fifth of the total medically reported deaths are certified.
More shockingly, the percentage of deaths of the deceased who received medical attention at the time of terminal illness is also abysmally low and the State is placed in the fourth position from the bottom.

As per the Medical Certification of Cause of Death (MCCD) Report, 2020 only 16.3 per cent people received any kind of medical attention before death and as many percentage of deaths are medically certified.

States like Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh have fared well as 49.7 pc, 31.9 pc, 29.2 pc, 21.4 pc, 26.4 pc and 25.1 pc people received any kind of medical attention before death.

Eight states and UTs including Tamil Nadu, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa and Manipur topped the chart with 100 pc people receiving any kind of medical attention before death. The percentage of medically certified deaths to total registered deaths and people receiving medical attention before death is 100 in both Goa and Manipur.

The share of medically certified deaths to total registered deaths has steadily improved in Odisha over the last 10 years although the growth is slow. There has been a consistent but slow increase in the number of hospitals implementing the MCCD guidelines.

Though the percentage had dropped marginally from 12.2 in 2011 to 11.1 in 2018, gradually it went up to 12.6 in 2019 and 16.3 in 2020. The total registered deaths in the State was 3,62,982 in 2020 of which 59,269 were medically certified deaths. The State is placed at 24th position among 34 states and UTs.
An analysis revealed fewer hospitalisation rates were a major cause behind lower percentages of medically reported deaths. The State has around 25 pc institutional deaths and the rest are domiciliary deaths.

Health experts have expressed concern as the MCCD scheme, even after being a vital source of population data on health, has not been implemented effectively in the State. A possible reason is that not all districts have enough medical institutions with in-patient facilities and MBBS doctors proportional to its population. As per MCCD guidelines, only MBBS doctors can certify deaths.

Director (Health Intelligence and Vital Statistics) Dr Rama Chandra Rout said the number of registered deaths was low as private hospitals were not submitting data on time. “The certification will improve as the system has become online since January this year. The State government has also introduced an unique mechanism to ensure that domiciliary deaths are registered. Health workers, supervisors, Asha and other field workers will report the deaths to their nearby hospitals where the doctors will certify,” he added.

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The New Indian Express
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