Amid COVID-19 fatalities mismatch claim, TN CM says deaths cannot be hidden

The Tamil Nadu government has been transparent in reporting COVID-19 deaths and none can hide information, Chief Minister K Palaniswami said on Thursday, rejecting claims of under-reporting of fatalities.

The Tamil Nadu government has been transparent in reporting COVID-19 deaths and none can hide information, Chief Minister K Palaniswami said on Thursday, rejecting claims of under-reporting of fatalities. Health authorities in Chennai said there are only "some probable discrepancies" in data collation and absolutely no "under-reporting" of COVID-19 deaths in the state.

Chief Minister K Palaniswami, when asked aboutalleged under-reporting of COVID-19 deaths,asserted there was no ground to conceal deaths and "nobody can hide deaths." Also, the Chief Minister wondered how was it even possible to under-count deaths and project it on a lower side. "How it (deaths) could be shown less ? if somebody dies of COVID-19, the media shows (visuals) and people come to know. This cannot be hidden.

For the government, it serves no good (purpose) by hiding deaths," he told reporters here. A day after a reconciliation committee was set up to look into alleged mismatch of COVID-19 deaths, Palaniswami said the government was transparent on the matter.

All along, the government has been issuing COVID-19 bulletin on a daily basis furnishing data on aspects including testing, recoveries, active cases and deaths, he said. A health official, meanwhile, said owing to factors including delayed reporting by some hospitals and data collation gaps, "there are some probable discrepancies" which were being addressed.

"Soon, the reconciling process of deaths will be completed and the outcome will be made known." All the hospitals have been asked to send an updated, fresh list of COVID-19 deaths, complete with all other relevant information to help arrive at a correct conclusion, the official said. On about 200 to 230 deaths reportedly not being reflected in official COVID-19 deaths for Chennai, she said clarity would emerge on the matter soon.

"The reconciliation committee is on the job." Following claims of discrepancies between the register of COVID-19 deaths of Greater Chennai Corporation and the data of state government's health authorities, the government set up the 'reconciliation committee' on Wednesday. Comprising doctors from the Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services and Directorate of Medical Education and the city corporation, the panel would look into the question of alleged discrepancies in deaths.

The reconciliation initiative was taken up by the government also in the wake of a complaint by an NGO to authorities claiming that three COVID-19 deaths were not recorded.PTI VGN VS WELCOME VS WELCOME.