Delhi Health Minister dismisses reports of discrepancies in COVID-19 death data

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain has dismissed reports of discrepancies in COVID-19 death data. The Health Minister has stated that deaths due to the virus cannot be hidden and added that the deaths of suspected cases are not covered in the death toll. Jain informed that have been a total of 12,319 cases while 208 deaths have been confirmed, adding that 5,897 people have recovered from Coronavirus. 

Speaking to ANI, Jain stated that when a body is brought to a hospital, it is qualified as a suspected case and last rites of the same are performed accordingly. "How can a suspect case be counted among COVID cases? The number of deaths cannot remain hidden. It may be delayed by a day or two, but it cannot be hidden," he added. 

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The Health Minister also explained the sudden increase in the numbers by attributing it to the delay caused by hospitals in sending their reports. Jain urged people to not rely on the number of COVID-19 cases to assess the situation but instead determine the situation on the basis of percentage of growth and the doubling rate. 

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South Delhi Mayor: 'Delhi govt must tell the truth' 

While speaking to Republic TV earlier on Friday, Mayor of SDMC Kamaljeet Sehrawat said, "If we talk about the data available with us, 249 COVID-19 suspected and positive bodies have been cremated in Punjabi Bagh cremation ground, in Madanpur Khadar 1 dead body has been buried and 138 bodies have been buried in the burial ground at ITO," said Kamaljeet Sehrawat.

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"If we add the number of COVID-19 infected bodies cremated/buried from North and East Municipal Corporations then the death toll will definitely cross the mark of 800, I don't know why Delhi government is fudging data. I believe the Delhi government must tell truth to the people of Delhi because corona has now spread at war footing level and if we tell the truth then people of Delhi will become conscious," the SDMC mayor said.

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(with inputs from ANI)