In Ludhiana, cremations with Covid norms almost double the official toll

Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 7

Amid the ongoing second wave of Covid-19, over 2,100 more deaths were registered by the Municipal Corporation of Ludhiana in May as compared to the deaths registered in the corresponding month in 2020 and 2019.

According to the records, the birth and death registration wing of the MC registered 3,256 deaths in May, three times more as compared to the fatalities in the same month last year. In May 2020 and 2019, as many as 1,083 and 1,121 deaths were registered, respectively.

In April 2021, the MC recorded 1,824 deaths as compared to 667 and 1,256 deaths in the corresponding month in 2020 and 2019, respectively. As per the media bulletin issued by the health department, 624 deaths due to Covid-19 were confirmed between May 1 and May 31 in Ludhiana district.

However, the number of bodies that were cremated with Covid protocol at the six cremation grounds of the city under the MC’s jurisdiction in May 2021 is higher than the deaths confirmed by the Health Department in Ludhiana district in May 2021. Over 1,150 bodies were cremated following the Covid protocol at the cremation grounds in May.

A member of marshals or volunteers’ team, which has been deployed by the MC for the cremation of the infected bodies, said they had conducted around 850 cremations with the Covid protocol at the cremation grounds in Barewal, Model Town, Dana Mandi, Daresi and Sunet in Ludhiana city during May.

Besides, 318 bodies were cremated with the Covid protocol in May at the cremation ground in the Dholewal area of Ludhiana, said Ranjodh Singh, president, Ramgarhia Education Council.

Sources said a number of persons who died of the virus were also cremated at the cremation grounds in various other parts and rural areas of the district.

“The correct number acts as an important tool for epidemiologists and for dealing with the situation, one should understand the true number of deaths,” a city doctor said.

Civil Surgeon Dr Kiran Gill said: “Sometimes, the primary cause of death is other than Covid-19. If a patient is Covid positive, but he died due to any other reason, the body is also cremated with the protocol. Our committee conducts a review meeting daily and then confirms the deaths due to Covid-19.”

MC Commissioner, Pardeep Kumar Sabharwal said the civic body was following the process based on the documentation.