NEW DELHI: Facing flak over alleged 'under-reporting' of COVID-19 deaths, the Delhi government on Sunday sought to blame the hospitals for the mismatch in data and issued guidelines for hospitals to ‘timely’ submit daily report on fatalities or else face action even as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asserted that the number of serious patients and deaths is "less".
An order issued by Delhi Chief Secretary Vijay Dev on Sunday directed all government and private hospitals in the capital to communicate each coronavirus related casualty every day to the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and also to the special committee set up to audit such fatalities with case summary, medical files and other relevant information. The hospitals have been asked to send the report daily, even if there is no death, or else they would be liable to face punitive action.
"It has come to notice that both public and private hospitals (both COVID dedicated and non-COVID hospitals) are not reporting the deaths of positive cases occurring in their hospitals in timely and regular manner… despite reminders, the death summaries of patients are not being provided to the Death Audit Committee (DAC), resulting in incorrect and delayed reporting being submitted," said the order. DAC is mandated to audit each death on daily basis before releasing the data.
The order stated that all health facilities should strictly abide by the standard operating procedure (SOP) and that principal secretary of health and family welfare department would ensure all authorities and officers to comply with the directions.
Hospitals were directed to send their report by 5 pm daily, which will duly be examined by the DAC. The health facilities will appoint a nodal officer to ensure timely communication about persons succumbing to the infection to the IDSP and DAC, said the order.
“Even if, after active intervention of Directorate General Of Health Services, death report or NIL report is not received by 6 pm daily from any Covid health facility, then the medical superintendent, managing director, directors, or nodal officer of the defaulter hospital will report the matter, with all relevant information, to the office of the secretary very next day in the morning at 11 am with written explanation for the delays,” the order stated
Fodder for BJP to attack Kejriwal
On Saturday, health minister Satyendar Jain had asserted that there was no reason to hide Covid deaths and that not a single case would go unaccounted. However, BJP asked CM to come clear after reports which showed 92 deaths against 68 reported by govt