BENGALURU: Even as the opposition continues to dispute the official Covid-19 death numbers given out by the state government, Health and Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar on Monday maintained that the number of Covid-19 deaths since March 1, 2020, is 37,423, while the total number of deaths in the state during that period is a whopping 9,40,416. Of them, 4,78,082 people died in the state in the past eight months alone.
Responding to Congress MLC Prakash Rathod’s question on the number of deaths in the state during the past two years, the minister informed the legislative council that between March 1 and December 31, 2020, as many as 4,62,334 people died, and between January 1, 2021 and August 31, 2021, 4,78,082 people had died.
The total number of deaths is as per the records of the Office of Registrar of Birth and Deaths, and the number for the current year is being reconciled. Stating that all Covid-19 deaths are recorded, and data is updated on the ICMR website, he said the death audit is done regularly. The minister said they will think
about the MLC’s suggestion to look into deaths at home in rural areas.
Rathod said the government has considered only death of patients with RT-PCR positive results as Covid deaths, while a large number of people died in their houses in rural areas with Covid-like symptoms, and many were also found to have contracted Covid after undergoing CT scans. He urged the government to conduct a detailed death audit and take into account all deaths due to Covid. As per numbers given by the minister, 67,444 people died in September 2020, 77,221 died in May 2021, and 99,665 died in June 2021 in the state.
DEATH AUDIT