Ghaziabad’s Covid-19 death rate of 3.36%surpasses state average of 2.85%

As the number of cases of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the district continue to rise, the death rate in Ghaziabad has surpassed the state’s fatality rate.

As the number of cases of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the district continue to rise, the death rate in Ghaziabad has surpassed the state’s fatality rate.

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As many as 19 Covid-19 patients have died in the district, out of the 565 cases reported in the district so far. According to the district health department data, on Thursday the death rate of Ghaziabad stood at 3.36%. This is higher than Uttar Pradesh’s death rate which stood at 2.85%. As per the records made available by the state surveillance officer, as many as 345 Covid-19 patients have died in the state out of the 12,088 total cases reported until now.

“Till the last week of May, there were only three Covid-19 related deaths in Ghaziabad, but there has been a sudden spike now in the deaths. Out of the 19 fatalities, eight Ghaziabad residents died at an L3 category hospital in Meerut, while one death each took place in Noida and Delhi. So far, eights deaths have taken place at our L3 category facility at Santosh Medical College and Hospital, after it started operations about 10-12 days ago,” said Dr NK Gupta, district chief medical officer (CMO).

The L3 category hospitals were set up by the state government under its three-tier Covid-19 healthcare structure. Unlike the L1 and L2 hospitals that deal with asymptomatic or patients with mild Covid-19 symptoms, the L3 category hospitals deal with patients who need critical care.

Officials did not elaborate on the deaths at Santosh Medical College.

“The hospital was earlier a quarantine facility and was later converted to an L3 facility. Since this is a government acquired facility, only the Ghaziabad chief medical officer will be able to officially comment about any issue,” said Dr Manish Sabharwal, chief medical superintendent, Santosh Medical College and Hospital.

Ghaziabad district magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey also refused to comment and referred the matter to the CMO.

“The L3 facility at Santosh Medical College is managed by the hospital team and we cannot comment over the number of deaths that took place there. Out of 19 deaths, about 70-80% of patients had comorbidities. Most of them were senior citizens who had also developed complications due to acute respiratory distress syndrome. There were some cases where the patients suffered heart strokes as well,” the CMO said.

However, the health department officials are yet to officially confirm whether the deaths were due to Covid-19.

“We are waiting for the death audit reports of the deceased, and once they arrive we will be able to know whether the deaths were a result of the ailments the patients were already suffering or were they purely due to Covid-19. We expect that Covid-19 aggravated the comorbidities in patients, however, the death audit reports will conclude the exact cause of death,” Dr Gupta said.

On April 15, the state health department officials had announced that audit of Covid-19 related deaths will be carried out and the medical reports of all the deceased will be studied by a panel of doctors.

One of the firsts Covid-19 related deaths in the district included a 60-year-old woman from Vijay Nagar. She died on April 30 at a private hospital, and later her test reports found her Covid-19 positive. Doctors at the hospital had then said the death was a result of a heart stroke.

“We are yet to know the exact reason behind my mother’s death apart from the source of her Covid-19 infection. She was suffering from blood pressure issues along with thyroid problems and was on medicines. Just two days before her death, we came to know that she also had diabetes. After my mother’s death, my entire family went under 14-day institutional quarantine and followed by seven-day home quarantine,” said the woman’s son.

“How my mother contracted the infection is still a big question. The health department needs to expedite the audit of her death all Covid-19 related casualties,” he added.

In Ghaziabad, deaths have been reported from Khoda, Pratap Vihar, Jhandapur, Vaishali, Behrampur, Sahibabad, Nandgram, Daulatpura, Vasundhara, Chiranjeev Vihar, and Indirapuram, said, officials.

According to the health department data, Ghaziabad accounts for about 5.5% of the total Covid-19 related deaths in the state.

Meanwhile, Awanish Awasthi, UP’s additional chief secretary (home) said the state has achieved the target of testing 15,000 samples per day, and the chief minister has directed the officials to now strive for testing 20,000 samples per day.

“The CM has directed officials to focus on districts such as Agra, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Aligarh, Bulandshahr, Moradabad, Kanpur, Firozabad, Basti and Kanpur from where many Covid-19 deaths have been reported recently and also has asked the death audit reports to be expedited,” he added.

State health department officials said they have also launched a week-long initiative to test the most vulnerable sections and those who provide essential services.

“The week-long initiative will focus on certain groups such as those at old age homes, orphanages and juvenile homes etc, and will also cater to people engaged in the delivery of food, milk, and newspapers among others. People in urban slums, pharmacists, and helpdesk staff in hospitals will also be tested randomly under the initiative,” said Amit Mohan Prasad, UP’s principal secretary (health).

TWO DEATHS, 24 NEW COVID-19 CASES

Two more Covid-19 deaths were reported in the district, taking the death toll to 19.

“A 75-year-old man from Modinagar died at Meerut, and 63-year-old man from Maliwara died at Santosh Medical Hospital in Ghaziabad,” said Dr NK Gupta, chief medical officer.

As many as 24 new Covid-19 cases were reported on Thursday in Ghaziabad. The district now has 565 cases.

The new cases include three cases from Vaishali, one from Crossings Republik and two each from Kaushambi, Vaishali, Indirapuram and Vasundhara.