West Bengal reports highest coronavirus mortality rate: Inter Ministerial Central Team
4 May, 2020 | newsx bureau
The central team reports that West Bengal has the highest mortality rate for coronavirus cases in India. It also accused the state government for not maintaining transparency in COVID-19 data.
Inter-Ministerial Central Team in its letter informed the state chief secretary that the mortality rate of West Bengal is the highest at 12.8%. Not just this, ICMT, which was on a two-week visit to the state to inspect the cases of COVID-19, accused the Trinamool Congress regime of not cooperating with the central team. The team accused the Mamata Banerjee government of having discrepancies in reporting the number of COVID-19 cases in its medical bulletins to the central government.
IMCT leader Apoorva Chandra wrote in his final observations that the high mortality rate in the state is a clear proof of low testing, slow tracking and surveillance by the government in the state. All these reports have come after Mamata Banerjee formed a special audit committee to find out whether the deaths in the state are due to coronavirus or pre-existing ailment.
Inter-Ministerial Central Team is returning back to Delhi after a two-week inspection in Kolkata. During the stay, IMCT wrote seven letters to Bengal Chief Secretary Sinha and four-letter to Principal Secretaries of Home, Urban Development, Municipal Affairs, Health, Food and Supplies.
The letter contains specific information given by the state government and the major observations of IMCT based on their field visits and inspections. IMCT reported that they could only interact with Principal Secretary (Health) through video conferencing and sought support from the state to conduct more visits as they were not allowed enough field visits.