New online system for COVID-19 death reporting in Kerala

It is expected to ensure transparency, accountability and completeness in toll reporting

Following criticism over the alleged “less-than-honest” manner in which Kerala was reporting its COVID-19 deaths, the Health Department is now rolling out an online, real-time reporting system, which will ensure transparency, accountability and completeness in COVID-19 death reporting henceforth. The system, developed by e-health division, is being rolled out on a trial basis on Tuesday. The COVID-19 death reporting in the State has been mired in controversies right from the time of the first wave and inconsistencies in reporting, gaps in data and the unusual disparities in mortality rate between districts have led to allegations of data manipulation by the State. Even though the importance of accurate death reporting and data sanctity for the purposes of pandemic-impact assessment and policy formulation for the future had been pointed out time and again by health experts, the State did nothing to set right its systems or to undo the damage that had been done.