MP's COVID-19 death rate double than that of national average

Bhopal, Apr 09: The death rate due to coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh, where the infection has claimed at least 29 lives so far, stands at 7.50 per cent, which is more than double the national COVID-19 fatality rate of 3.25 per cent, according to an analysis of available figures. Alarmed by the number of deaths in the state, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday asked officials to provide best medical facilities to COVID-19 patients curb the fatality rate.

According to health officials, 385 people have so far tested coronavirus positive in the state, of whom 29 have succumbed to the infection till Wednesday night. The fatality rates comes to 7.50 per cent of the total number of patients in the state.

Till Wednesday night, the number of COVID-19 patients in the country, as per PTI, stood at 5,689. Of them, at least 181 people, which is around 3.18 per cent of the total cases, have died. This shows that MP's fatality rate was up 4.32 per cent or more than double the national incidence.

A per the figures provided by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Wednesday night, the virus has infected 5,274 people in the country. Of them, 149 died, it said. The country's fatality rate was 2.8 per cent till Wednesday. The data given by the ICMR also revealed that MP's casualty rate was 4.7 per cent or just double the nation-wide deaths.

Meanwhile, an official of the state's Public Relations Department said Chouhan has taken stock of the coronavirus situation. "Chouhan held a meeting here on Wednesday to take stock of the measures and directed officials to provide best healthcare facilities to patients to bring down the fatality rate," he said. "Chouhan told the officials that right now, the death rate is 7 to 7.50 per cent. The patients of coronavirus should be treated as per the guidelines of the Centre," the official said.

Chouhan told the officials to register an FIR against people who hide the fact that they may be carriers of the virus. They should first be treated and tried later, he told them.

According to the health department officials, 385 people in the state have tested coronavirus positive till Wednesday. Of them, 213 are from Indore, one of the the worst hit cities in India in terms of the infection. Currently, 331 patients are being treated in different districts of the state, they added.

The first cases of coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh were reported in Jabalpur city, where four persons, including two women with travel history abroad, tested positive on March 20. Within three weeks, it spread to most parts of the state.