E-Paper
Odisha: 20,035 excess deaths in 2020 amid Covid deaths underreporting cloud
As per the provisional data of month-wise deaths in 2020, 5,000 more deaths were reported in September and October 2020 compared to 2019, while 10,000 excess deaths per month were recorded in November and December 2020
Odisha reported 20,035 excess deaths registered by the state’s Civil Registration System in 2020 as compared to 2019 amid allegations that the state under-reported Covid-19 deaths last year, data obtained through Right to Information (RTI) application by HT shows.
As per the data, Odisha registered 342,947 deaths in 2019 while it was 362,982 in 2020, indicating that some of the 20,000-odd excess deaths in 2020 may possibly have been caused by Covid-19.
In 2017, the state recorded 322,660 deaths while in 2018 it was 328,799, as per the Civil Registration System. As many as 300,884 deaths (provisional figure) have been recorded at the state’s 430 registration units between January and September this year.
As per health experts, excess deaths are defined as the difference between the observed numbers of deaths and expected numbers of deaths in a time period. The excess deaths can provide information about the burden of mortality related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Provisional data during 2020 showed Odisha saw a major jump in deaths from September last year when the Covid mortalities were rising. As per the provisional data of month-wise deaths in 2020, 5,000 more deaths were reported in September and October last year compared to the previous year, while 10,000 excess deaths per month were recorded in November and December.
The state government, however, announced only 1,876 Covid deaths in 2020 while 6,216 deaths have been reported in 2021 so far. As per the provisional data, the number of deaths reported between September and December 2020 was around 10 times the official Covid toll for the same period. While 150,000 deaths were registered across the state in those four months, only 1,356 Covid deaths were acknowledged by the government.
Incidentally, in May this year, more than 1,000 deaths have been reported from 20 districts with Ganjam recording the maximum 4,641 followed by Cuttack (3,754), Bolangir (3,716), Sundargarh(3,619) and Khurda (3,571).
Early this week, Orissa high court had pointed out several discrepancies in a government affidavit while hearing a PIL over Covid deaths in the state. The state government in its affidavit had said there were 3,097 deaths between July 15 and August 31 this year, while in another affidavit filed at a later date, the government said there were 8,022 deaths in Odisha due to the pandemic as on August 31. The court indicated it was not satisfied by government’s data reporting and also the counting methodology.
Noted microbiologist Dr Tribhuvan Mohapatra said that some of the excess deaths witnessed last year may be due to Covid or causes linked to Covid. “It is quite possible that some people in rural areas may not have been able to travel to Covid hospital or have not been tested at all before they died. Some may have even died of post-Covid complications which the governments don’t count as Covid deaths. Many others who have been suffering from cancer or other chronic diseases may have died due to lack of medical facilities as health infrastructure in most states were diverted for Covid treatment,” said Dr Mohapatra.
State BJP leader Mohan Majhi said the death figures showed that the government had been misleading everyone by hiding the actual data on Covid casualty. “The suppression of fact from the public is a cognisable offence and a crime against humanity. Children who have lost their parents to the pandemic will be deprived of the government welfare schemes for orphans. The government should publish a white paper on actual Covid deaths,” said Majhi.
Similarly, Gouranga Mohapatra of Jana Swasthya Abhiyan, an NGO working in the health sector, said they have been alleging undercounting of Covid deaths since last year. “The government for long has been hiding details about deaths due to diarrhoea and other illnesses. It did the same with Covid deaths,” he alleged.
Dr Samiran Panda, head of the epidemiology division of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi, however said that one can’t jump to conclusions that excessive deaths were due to Covid. “It is true that last year several cancer patients as well as those with other comorbidities did not get the attention they deserved due to pressure on health infrastructure. So each of the deaths need to be analysed and studied before drawing any definite conclusion,” he said.
However, additional director of the health department, Dr Ramachandra Rout attributed the excessive numbers to better reporting by ASHA workers. “As ASHA workers are getting an incentive of ₹100 for each death that they report in their locality, the reporting has increased. Besides, over the last 4 years, Odisha is witnessing rise in death rates and a decline in birth rates. So there is nothing abnormal,” he said.
