Covid latest: AIIMS, Safdarjung accused of reporting deaths late, served show cause notice

Delhi government has issued show cause notices to top hospitals in the capital including AIIMs and Safdarjang

Top Delhi hospitals including AIIMS, Safdarjung, RML were questioned by the Delhi government on Saturday for alleged delay in reporting Covid-19 deaths in the capital a day after 57 deaths, spread over 21 days since April 5 up to May 30, were reported in a bunch on Saturday. The Delhi government said that the delay in announcing virus-induced deaths amounted to a violation of government orders and the disaster management act.

Delhi government had recently issued guidelines to deal with the controversy of alleged late reporting of death cases. (ANI Photo)

As per the Delhi government health bulletin issued on Sunday, four top hospitals including AIIMS, Lok Nayak, RML and Safdarjung were issued show cause notices to explain the reasons for delay in reporting Covid-19 death cases in violation of the directions issued by the health department as well as by the Delhi disaster management authority (DDMA) under the Disaster Management Act.

The show cause notices have been issued after a total of 57 deaths due to coronavirus, with some even dating back to April 5, were released collectively on May 30. A detailed break-up of deaths reported on May 30 shows that only 4 casualties were recorded on the day and the remaining 53 deaths took place between April 5 and May 29.

The other major dedicated Covid hospital, the Lok Nayak hospital-- which was recently at the centre of a row over mismatch of reported casualty figures-- has been sent an advisory asking it to be careful in the future and to follow the orders or guidelines issued by the department in “true letter and spirit” so that there is no anomaly in the deaths being reported by the government.

Facing criticism over alleged under reporting of Covid-19 deaths, the Delhi government had recently issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) for hospitals and other health facilities in the city setting a template for reporting fatalities due to coronavirus.

Delhi records highest single-day spike of 1,295 Covid-19 cases, tally crosses 19k-mark

The notices to hospitals coincided with Delhi, on the last day of lockdown 4.0 on Sunday, recording the highest single-day spike with 1,295 fresh coronavirus cases, taking the tally of Covid-19 positive patients in the national capital to 19,844, a little shy of the 20,000-mark, which it is likely to cross on June 1, going by the current trend.

The medical bulletin also listed 416 recoveries in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cured patients in the city-state to 8,478, which leaves nearly 10,893 active cases in the capital. The bulletin said that 13 patients detected with coronavirus had died in the last 24 hours in the city, driving the casualties figure up to 473.

The HT Guide to Coronavirus COVID-19

Delhi has a total of 103 containment zones as on Sunday and 5,781 Covid-19 positive patients are at home isolation currently, as against 2,586 positive patients receiving medical attention in designated Covid hospitals, 624 positive patients admitted to dedicated Covid Care Centres (CCS) and another 158 patients under treatment at dedicated Covid Health Centres (CHCs). 208 of all active patients are currently under ICU care and 43 are on ventilator support, as per the bulletin.

The Delhi administration also issued an order regarding additional guidelines for better management of dead bodies of Covid patients and suspected cases at the mortuaries of various hospitals under the government of Delhi.

It also ordered the constitution of a five member advisory committee to examine and suggest various steps of the Homoeopathic system of medicine that could possibly be used as an immunity booster against Covid -19 infection.