Covid or not? Unreported cases in Madurai GRH kick up a row

MADURAI: Amid claims of Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) under-reporting Covid-19 deaths, apart from two deaths reported officially on Thursday, an official statement by the hospital showed four more deaths having occurred on Wednesday and Thursday.
The state medical bulletin puts the total cases in the district at 1,279 and the death toll at 11 as of June 25. According to the bulletin, a 76-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman, both from Madurai, died of Covid-19 at GRH on June 21 and 22 respectively. While the man had co-morbid condition of diabetes, the 40-year-old woman did not have any co-morbidities.
Apart from these two cases, the hospital said in an official statement that four Covid-19 deaths have occurred within a span of 48 hours between Wednesday and Thursday.
However, hospital sources said that the number of deaths during the period was much higher. “In June, there have been comparatively more deaths. The number during the past 48 hours is in fact in double digits. There have also been cases of much younger patients without any co-morbidities dying mainly due to aggravation of Covid-19,” said a hospital source.
Further, the source said that suspected Covid-19 deaths, that is deaths of people who have not tested positive but have clinical symptoms, have also been on the rise. Reacting to the allegations, Madurai district collector Dr T G Vinay said that not all patients admitted to the ‘Corona Speciality Hospital’ at GRH die of Covid-19.
“There will be cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchial asthma, etc., which will also be admitted here if exacerbated. Such cases may suffer death. But they will not be considered Covid-19 deaths,” he said, speaking to TOI.
Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association (TNGDA) state president Dr K Senthil, in a recent statement condemning verbal abuse of medical staff by a patient’s kin, had said that despite treatment, four to five Covid-19 or suspected Covid-19 deaths have been occurring a day at GRH during the past week due to severity of the disease.
The following day, addressing media, B Chandra Mohan, monitoring officer for Covid for Madurai, had said that all Covid-related deaths are being verified and that a committee has been formed to discuss treatment protocol and death audit at GRH.