HYDERABAD: The second wave of Covid-19, which left many families in Telangana devastated, might have been much worse than the picture painted by the official figures. As per data received through an RTI query filed by Forum Against Corruption, headed by its President and activist Vijay Gopal, May 2021 saw 12,000 more deaths than May 2020. While the State recorded 21,633 deaths this May, only 8,688 died in the corresponding month of the previous year.
The first wave of pandemic had also claimed many lives. As per the MeeSeva data retrieved by Gopal, the number of deaths recorded in 2020 was in excess by 41,832 deaths, when compared to the 2019 figures. In 2020, the total number of deaths recorded was 1,20,929, while in 2019, it was 79,097. This indicated a 52 per cent increase in the number of deaths.
A closer look at the data showed that the increase in the number of deaths was particularly higher in the months of July, August and September in 2020, during the first wave of the pandemic. For instance, in Warangal Urban district, the number of casualties in June was 681, which rose to 1,271 in July and 1,453 in August. In the GHMC limits, this number rose from 5,489 in June to 8,572 in July and 6,442 in August.
What is even more shocking is that the death certificates issued by MeeSeva in 2021, have touched the 80,000-mark, with 80,631 deaths recorded until July. This is the second-highest number of deaths reported since Telangana formation.
“We demand that the government tell the public what caused these excess deaths— was it Covid or something else?” asked Gopal. He further accused the government of hiding the data about deaths, aiding complacent citizens’ attitude towards precautions.
Second wave has not ended, warns DPH
Director of Public Health Dr G Srinivasa Rao said on Saturday, July 31, 2021, that the second wave had not ended yet. “There has been a sudden spike in cases in nine districts,” he said. Sources say that 130-150 cases are being reported daily in Khammam and Kothagudem districts