Covid-19 fatality rate in East Singhbhum is a worry

Corona is a new virus. There is no cure for it. Vaccine is not available for it. People are dying all over the world and across cities. Masks and safe behaviour are only options available to people.

These are some facts that most of the people are aware of because they have been told so again and again.

However, people dying in disproportionate numbers, when compared to other regions and areas in the same state should prompt the government and the administration to examine the reasons responsible for it and to check if there is anything amiss and anything human that is out of place.

The high number of deaths in East Singhbhum district compared to the total number of infection cases remains a cause of concern.

The fatality rate for India is 1.93, while that for the state of Jharkhand comes around to 1.05. Compared to these, a fatality rate of around 3.56 in the district looks worrying enough.

It is true that the fatality rate in many of the Indian cities has been quite high. For example, the fatality rate in Maharashtra is 3.4 and in Mumbai it is almost 5.4.

However, when compared to the rate of Jharkhand, the fatality rate of East Singhbhum looks quite stark.

Some may point out that co-morbidities are responsible for most of the deaths, and that not too many hospitals are available, and also that serious patients are referred to at the last moment to the treating hospitals.

But all these factors apply equally to the rate of Jharkhand as well as other districts too. Hospitals in other cities of the state, like RIMS, or in Dhanbad and Bokaro, too are those where patients with co-morbidities and serious conditions are referred to.

High fatality rate is a point that cannot be wished away or ignored and the district administration would have to focus on this and take decisions accordingly.

All necessary steps should be taken to see if the death rate can be brought down because the common citizens look up to and bank on the administration.

The death rate needs to be minimised.