Thiruvananthapuram Covid deaths: Official figures contradict crematorium stats

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Going by the official figures, Covid-19 deaths accounted for only 8% of the total deaths recorded in the district this year. However, data of Covid cremations collected from some of the crematoriums in the district in the January-May 22 period show higher number of figures.
Whether this disparity happens due to underreporting, undercounting or due to deceased from other districts being cremated here is not known to authorities. Death registration figures for Thiruvananthapuram between January and May 22 put total deaths at 9,579 (figures of 11 panchayats are not available). Health department data show that there were 762 Covid-19 deaths in the district during this period. Total death figures could be even more since death data of 11 panchayats is not shown in registration wing’s figures.
However, figures from Santhikavadom run by city corporation show that 1,337 bodies were cremated between January and May of which 615 were of Covid victims’. Another crematorium run by SNDP at Muttathara shows that 421 bodies were cremated in May alone and in April it was 280. Of these more than 90% were Covid deaths. At Maranallur, where panchayat runs a crematorium, 200 cremations were held in April and May. Staff associated with transport and cremation of bodies receive mortal remains in accordance with Covid protocol and according to them nearly all of the bodies cremated in these areas belonged to Covid victims.
There has been a similar spike in cremations of Covid victims’ bodies at crematoriums run by Pazhayakunnumel, Nedumangad and Attingal municipalities. While official figures limit Covid deaths to less than 800 this year in the district, cumulative data from just three crematoriums alone account for nearly 1,300 Covid deaths. According to officials, except in rare cases many of the deceased are based in Thiruvananthapuram itself. TOI has not been able to collect Covid burial data from mosques and around four crematoriums and even then there has been a difference of over 600 deaths.
If only 762 persons died of Covid-19 in the district, it has to be assumed that around 9,000 deaths happened due to other causes. Deaths from around 18 types of communicable diseases in Thiruvananthapuram have been 53 and 61 in 2018 and 2019 respectively and fatalities from these communicable diseases have not peaked alarmingly in the district.
In 2020, 367 people died in road accidents in the district. Even for the entire state, cumulative fatalities from 20 types of communicable diseases this year is 38. Of the total deaths registered in Thiruvananthapuram this year, 5,768 happened in hospitals while 3,811 occurred in other places.
From the confirmed Covid-19 deaths, the health department has not included some deaths in the list since the reason for death may not be attributed to Covid-19. The number of such non-Covid deaths has also been low in the district — 25 in 2021 and 64 in 2020. In 2020, Covid deaths accounted for 2% of total deaths in Thiruvananthapuram.