State Government’s dedicated committee to analyze every COVID-19 related death

With Maharashtra’s COVID-19 mortality rate currently being the highest at 6.8%, Mumbai is the worst affected region of the state with 60% of the cases originating from the metropolitan city. In light of multiple COVID-19 related deaths in the state, a five-member committee set up by the state met in Pune yesterday to discuss guidelines and establish a proper framework for analyzing every COVID-19 related death in Maharashtra. 

The committee will also ascertain how a COVID-19 related death is certified while also looking into underlying factors of critical patients. Additionally, the State Government has established a 9-member committee for Mumbai to effectively handle COVID-19 treatment procedures for positive cases who are in critical condition. 

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A state representative said that closely analyzing each death will help them better understand the treatment for critical patients. Dr Archana Patil, Chairwoman of the State Committee, said, “We will be analysing each death in the state except for those occurring in Mumbai. For Mumbai, a separate death audit team has been formed.”

The aforementioned 9-member task force was set up specifically for Mumbai as the city has seen a total of 110 deaths so far. This committee will be headed by Dr Sanjay Oak, former Dean at King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital. This committee will take care of the training required for health professionals to combat the coronavirus. Medicines like Ritonavir and Lopinavir are currently approved for treatment in critical patients, it is said. The nine-member team will also determine if it’s feasible to shift a patient between hospitals and ensure no protocols are broken during the period.

Mumbai city currently relies on health institutions like Nanavati, Saifee, St George, Wockhardt, Seven Hills, and Jogeshwari Trauma hospital to treat severe COVID-19 cases in the city. “It is also the immune response that is killing patients. We are not seeing a uniform pattern in deaths. There are people of same age group with the same co-morbidity who are reacting differently to the virus,” said Dr Om Srivastava, who is an infectious disease expert in Jaslok Hospital. Dr Srivastava is also a member of the COVID-19 death audit committee established by the State Government.