'People get old, they have to die': MP minister shocker on Covid-19 deaths

The state minister was responding to a question on a surge in deaths caused by coronavirus disease. A video of his remark has been shared by news agency ANI.

Madhya Pradesh minister Prem Singh Patel on Thursday delivered a shocker on deaths from coronavirus in the country and said that while nobody can stop the virus deaths from occurring, "people get old and have to die".

According to a report, MP minister Prem Singh Patel was handed the charge to deal with corona-related arrangements in a district by chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan two days back on Tuesday, and tasked with working to arrest the pandemic. (Photo: Screengrab/ ANI)

The state minister was responding to a question on a surge in deaths caused by coronavirus disease. A video of his remark has been shared by news agency ANI.

"I agree that these deaths have occurred. No one can stop them (Covid-19 deaths). I am not the only one saying this. We have to cooperate (to fight the virus)," Patel said.

Suggesting ways to fight the disease outbreak, Patel said that the issue has been discussed in the state assembly. People need to wear masks and maintain social distancing. "People should consult doctors. We have arranged for doctors as well," Patel told ANI.

"You said that many people are dying every day. As far as deaths are concerned, with age people get old and they die," the minister said.

According to a Free Press Journal report, Patel was handed the charge to oversee corona-related arrangements in a district by chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday.

In a never-seen-before pandemic outbreak, India has been gripped by the second wave of coronavirus which experts term ‘worsening’ and ‘highly infectious’. India on Thursday broke all its previous single-day spike and recorded the highest-single day jump of 2,00,739 cases of the Covid-19, which took the country’s total infection tally past 14 million, according to the latest figures released by the Union ministry of health and family welfare.

The latest wave that shows no sign of receding has begun to overwhelm hospitals and crematoriums as states have started running out of resources and space to cremate the people succumbing to the virus.

A substantial rise in the fatality rate has led to a rush of bodies in crematoriums and burial grounds in states like Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

In Bhopal, officials at the crematorium are struggling to dispose of bodies as these facilities have started facing several issues, including that of space crunch.

The number of bodies being brought to the crematoriums or burial grounds has been witnessing a surge over the last few days, say the operators of these establishments.

"In the last four days, we have cremated 200 bodies, including those that needed to be disposed of as per Covid-19 protocols. Now, we have created a new such facility on two acres of land," said Mamtesh Sharma, secretary of the management committee of Bhadbhada Vishram Ghat, one of the biggest Hindu crematoriums in the state capital told PTI.

Madhya Pradesh reported 51 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the Union health ministry's data released on Thursday.