BENGALURU: As many as 28,000 more Covid deaths have been reported in the state by the Directorate of Social Security and Pensions (DSSP) of the Revenue Department. This is in addition to the 40,121 deaths mentioned in the daily media bulletin issued by the Health Department.Admitting that there is a difference of at least 28,000 deaths, health department officials attributed the disparity to the expansion of the definition of deaths due to Covid.
So far, the state government, through DSSP, has cleared the compensation of `267.93 crore to the families of 53,586 people who died due to Covid so far. As per these figures alone, the health department has missed 13,465 Covid deaths.
In fact, DSSP has received applications from 60,444 families, while the claims of 2,894 are still under process. The DSSP, under the State Disaster Relief Funds, has released Rs 50,000 each to the family of the deceased as per the guidelines of the National Disaster Management Authority.
Health department sources said the difference in the number of deaths in the media bulletin and DSSP list is only because of the expansion of the definition of Covid deaths. “Earlier, deaths of Covid-affected people only at hospitals were recorded by the health department. But now, deaths even at homes or elsewhere are considered as Covid deaths followed by clinical correlation.
The kin of the people whose names are missing from the health department list can approach the grievance committee to get the compensation,” an official said.Health Commissioner D Randeep said, “We are waiting for the government’s guidelines and approval to include the additional Covid deaths (recorded by DSSP) in the media bulletin.”