Bihar Revises Covid Deaths By 72% to More Than 9,000, Raises Many Questions

While the second wave of Covid19 was ravaging the country, Indian authorities have been criticized for discrepancies in the death numbers due to the virus. Bihar government with its massive revision of almost 73% additional numbers of death in a day when compared to all the deaths reported since the beginning of the pandemic– has raised some serious questions. 

New figures that followed a three-week audit indicate that while a total of 1,600 people died of Covid in Bihar between March 2020 to March 2021, the number of deaths from just April to June 7 this year was 7,775, a number six times more!

Bihar’s massive revision in its Covid deaths figure to over 9,000 has become controversial with the 73 percent jump raising a lot of questions.

The Nitish Kumar government on Wednesday reported that the number of mortality across the state in the pandemic was 9,429, a dramatic spike that also affects the Centre’s daily and overall Covid death figures.

Patna High Court had asked for an audit of deaths due to Covid19 in the state

The Patna High Court had ordered for an audit of casualties in the April-May second surge of Covid amid allegations that the Bihar government was hiding the scale of infections and deaths in the state.

Revised figures for death after the three-week audit indicate that while 1,600 people died of Covid in Bihar between March 2020 and 2021, the number of deaths from April to June 7 this year was a staggering 7,775, about six times more.

The state’s Health Department, which had earlier put the number at 5,500, said about 72 percent more had been added after verification from all districts. It gave a break-up from 38 districts but did not specify when these additional deaths took place.

The most deaths, according to the new figures, took place in state capital Patna – 2,303. The city also accounted for the highest number of “additional deaths reported after verification”.

Bihar on Wednesday reported that the number of deaths across the state in pandemic was 9,429.

Patna/ New Delhi: Bihar’s massive revision in its Covid deaths figures to over 9,000 has become controversial with the 72 percent jump raising more questions.

The Nitish Kumar government on Wednesday reported that the number of deaths across the state in the pandemic was 9,429, a dramatic spike that also impacts the Centre’s daily Covid death figures.

The Patna High Court had asked for an audit of casualties in the April-May second surge of Covid amid allegations that the Bihar government was hiding the scale of infections and deaths in the state.

New figures after the three-week audit suggest that while 1,600 people died of Covid in Bihar between March 2020 and 2021, the number of deaths from April to June 7 this year was a staggering 7,775, about six times more.

The state’s Health Department, which had earlier put the number at 5,500, said about 72 percent more had been added after verification from all districts. It gave a break-up from 38 districts but did not specify when these additional deaths took place.

The most deaths, according to the new figures, took place in state capital Patna – 2,303. The city also accounted for the highest number of “additional deaths reported after verification”.

But records of three government-run cremation centers in Patna confirm 3,243 “Covid cremations” and the fresh discrepancy is likely to draw more opposition criticism.

According to Pratyay Amrit, Principal Secretary, State Health Department, the difference could be explained by the fact that if a person from another district died in Patna and was cremated here, the death would be counted at the victim’s native district and not Patna.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s native district Nalanda has added 222 deaths.The state also reported a reduced recovery rate, down from 98.70 percent to 97.65 percent. The opposition in Bihar has been accusing the state government of fudging figures to hide its failure.