Thackeray speaks about the discrepancies in the death toll in Maharashtra

In recent past, there has been a lot talk going on about the discrepancies regarding the number of deaths due to coronavirus being reported in Mumbai incorrectly. The Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray, had earlier tweeted from his official handle CMO Maharashtra to talk about the same.

कोविड-१९ रुग्णासंदर्भातील माहिती विविध जिल्ह्यातील रुग्णालयांमधून पोर्टलवर भरण्यात येते. या माहितीत पारदर्शकता असावी आणि नॅशनल सेंटर फॉर डिसीज कंट्रोल यांनी ठरवून दिलेल्या मार्गदर्शक तत्वांनुसार कोविड बाधित मृत्यू प्रकरणांची कार्यवाही व्हावी अशी सुचना (१/३)

— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) June 16, 2020

मुख्यमंत्री उद्धव बाळासाहेब ठाकरे यांनी प्रारंभीपासून दिली असून त्यानुसारच हे समायोजन करण्यात आले आहे. शिवाय यामध्ये संपूर्ण पारदर्शकता राहावी म्हणून या माहितीचे समायोजन नियमितपणे केले जाणार आहे. यापूर्वी देखील दुबार नावे वगळण्याची कार्यवाही झाली होती. (२/३)

— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) June 16, 2020

१३ जून रोजीच सर्व विभागीय आयुक्त व जिल्हाधिकार्यांना यासंदर्भात त्यांच्या त्यांच्या अखत्यारीतील प्रयोगशाळांकडून अद्ययावत माहिती घेण्यास व ती भरण्यास सांगितले होते, त्यानुसार फेरतपासणी करून समायोजन केलेली माहिती ही वेबपोर्टलवर सार्वजनिक करण्यात येत आहे. (३/३)

— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) June 16, 2020

Uddhav Thackeray is his tweets has stated that Information regarding the patients suffering from the coronavirus is filed on the portal after collecting data from hospitals in various districts. He also said that the deaths related to COVID-19 would be dealt with in accordance with the guidelines laid down by the National Centre for Disease Control. Furthermore, he added that on June 13, all the divisional commissioners and the district collectors were asked to procure the updated information under their jurisdiction and fill it up.

Former CM of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis had in a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that his government is disobeying the ICMR guidelines by not reporting the correct number of deaths in Mumbai. He had demanded clarification from the Thackeray government on why more than 500 deaths in various Mumbai hospitals were not referred to the death audit committee. Fadnavis pointed out that the BMC is not following the directions by ICMR and WHO and further spoke of an investigation that should be conducted on all such deaths throughout the state.

The State Government itself has directed to set up Death Audit Committee at every district & Municipal Corporation level.
When there are clear guidelines by @WHO & @ICMRDELHI on identifying #COVID_19 & non-Covid cases,is this committee made to prevent deaths or to hide numbers? pic.twitter.com/FRrRdoKXpc

— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) June 15, 2020

In the past, Devendra Fadnavis had written to CM Uddhav Thackeray about his concerns on the percentage of tests done in the city and stated that out of the overall tests conducted, Maharashtra had witnessed a steep fall from 56 per cent on May 1, to 27 per cent on May 31. He had also questioned the surge in Maharashtra's death toll and cited reports that the words 'COVID-19' and 'suspected COVID-19' had been removed from many deceased's death certificates. This brings about a question of transparency between the government and the citizens.