NEW DELHI: More than 34,750
death certificates
were issued by the three municipal corporations in the city during April and May, when the second Covid-19 wave was raging. This is a 250% increase over the figure of 9,916
certificates
issued in the corresponding period last year.
With the severity of the pandemic peaking around April-end this year, bulk of these death certificates have been issued in May. The death registration data for May this year shows that 24,000 certificates were issued, while during the same month in 2020, 5,475 death certificates were issued by the municipal bodies, an additional 18,525 certificates in May alone.
The registration data from
South Delhi Municipal Corporation
shows the number of death certificates rose from 2,512 in May 2020 to 10,209 in May 2021; the north corporation saw an increase from 2,116 to 9,663; and the east corporation an increase from 847 to 4,128 in the same period.
TOI had earlier reported the comparative death registration data for the month of April. The three corporations had issued 4,441 death certificates in April 2020 and the count increased to 10,750 certificates during April this year.
Final count may go up as applications still pendingA senior municipal official said that many applications are still pending in the registration system while some families in case of recent deaths may not have applied for the certificates yet due to which the final number is likely to be higher.
The official Covid toll in Delhi, according to the government health bulletins, was 11,036 on April 1, 2021, which increased to 24,237 on May 31, 2021 — an addition of 13,201 deaths in two months.
Jai Prakash, mayor of North Delhi Municipal Corporation – the civic body which oversees the biggest crematorium of the city at Nigambodh Ghat – said that a large chunk of these additional deaths are due to Covid. "If we compare the registration data for May, the number in the north corporation area alone has increased from 2,116 last year to 9,663. A proper audit or door-to-door survey should be carried out to find out the real Covid death count of the city. Checking the cremation slips issued at the crematorium can also give us a fair idea about the Covid deaths,” he added.
“Never in recent decades have we registered more than 10,000 deaths in one month. That record was broken in April, while now more than double of that figure has also been recorded,” said an official.
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