Former Minister and senior Congress MLA H.K. Patil has expressed shock over an increase in the overall number of deaths in Bengaluru and said the city reported 49,135 deaths during January-July 2020 against 37,001 during the same period in 2019, an increase of 32% in the mortality rate.
Speaking to The Hindu on Wednesday, Mr. Patil said 12,134 more people died in the city in the first seven months of 2020 compared to the same period last year.
Questioning the State government’s data on COVID-19 deaths, he said 1,886 people died owing to coronavirus, according to government data, during March-August. Then more than 47,000 people died owing to non-COVID-19 related causes. “Why is the government not revealing information related to these deaths? Is the government hiding the data by showing fewer deaths due to COVID-19,” he asked. Mr. Patil is also the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of the Legislature.
No death records maintained
Since January, the government has not kept records of deaths of the people in the city and no medical certification of cause of death has been done. Hence, no scientific reason was given for the increased deaths. If COVID-19 deaths are only 1,886, how did 10,248 more people die this year compared to last year, he asked, and sought an explanation from the government for the increase in the number of deaths in the city.
About 32% increase in the deaths in Bengaluru alone was a matter of serious concern. There was data stating that 8.5% people died owing to breathing problems in the State, Mr. Patil claimed.
While the country’s average mortality rate was 42 per million people, the figure was 83 per million in Karnataka. The Congress leader urged the government to conduct a study on the death of the number of people in the State.
Appeal to CM
Terming the increase in the number of deaths as “shocking”, the former Minister appealed to Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa to take correct steps to control the high mortality rates after consultation with opposition parties, experts, and doctors.