Lok Sabha Question No. 1732 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-02-11
Subject: Underreporting of COVID-19 Deaths
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Manish Tewari, Hibi Eden

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1732 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.02.2022

## UNDERREPORTING OF COVID-19 DEATHS

## †1732. SHRI MANISH TEWARI: SHRI HIBI EDEN:

Will the Minister of HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a)   whether  as  per  a  report  released  in  January  2022  the  number  of  deaths  by  COVID-19 between  June  1,  2020  and  July  1,  2021  are  around  3.2  million  which  is  eight  times  the Government figure of 400,000;
- (b)  whether  another  report  by  'Project:  Jeevan  Raksha'  released  in  October  2021,  indicated massive underreporting of deaths linked to pandemic with the maximum underreporting of 5722 percent in Gujarat;
- (c)   whether  India's  official  COVID-19  death  count  does  not  include  the  'suspected  COVID deaths' and only confirmed COVID deaths have been counted, if so, the details thereof;
- (d)  whether the Government is having any data on the number of COVID-19 deaths that took place  inside  homes  due  to  non  availability  of  beds  in  hospitals  and  also  those  happened without testing, if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether World Health Organisation (WHO) did not use COVID-19 death numbers reported by India in its first estimate of global deaths due to doubts of gross underreporting by Indian authorities and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f)   whether the Government proposes to conduct a proper audit of COVID-19 deaths and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE ( DR BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

(a) to (f): An international magazine in January 2022, published a report titled 'COVID mortality in India: National survey data and health facility deaths' which speculated excess deaths than the official number of COVID-19 fatalities. The report was purely speculative that made use of nonvalidated  methodology  for  calculating  estimates  of  excess  mortality  and  lacked  any  peer reviewed scientific data. The report by Project: Jeevan Raksha released in October 2021 suffered from a similar lack of scientific rigor.

India  has  a  robust  Civil  Registration  System  (CRS)  and  Sample  Registration  System  (SRS) which predates the COVID-19 pandemic and covers all States/UTs. The registration of deaths in the  country  is  done  under  Registration  of  Births  and  Deaths  Act  (RBD  Act,  1969)  by functionaries appointed by the State Governments.

In  the  context  of  COVID-19  Pandemic,  detailed  guidelines  for  reporting  of  deaths  have  been issued by Union Health Ministry to all States/UTs. Accordingly, all States/UTs report cases and deaths to Union Health Ministry on a regular basis.

Indian  Council  for  Medical  Research  (ICMR)  on  10 th May  2020  issued  'Guidance  for appropriate recording of COVID-19 related deaths in India' (Available at: https://www.icmr.gov.in/pdf/covid/techdoc/Guidance\_appropriate\_recording\_of\_related\_deaths\_ India.pdf).

Union Ministry of Health & FW, vide letter dated 9 th October 2020 has conveyed to States/UTs, WHO and ICMR guidelines  on  correct  recording  of  COVID-19  related  deaths  in  accordance with  globally  accepted  ICD-10  classification  and  also  urged  states  to  take  up  periodic  death audits  with  the  aim  to  improve  quality  of  healthcare  services  by  suitable  corrective  measures. States/UTs were also provided with a proforma for taking death audits in this regard.

States  and  UTs  have  been  urged  through  formal  communications,  multiple  video  conferences and through deployment of Central teams for correct recording of deaths in accordance with laid down guidelines.