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

Bhopal, Apr 9 () The death rate due to coronavirusin Madhya Pradesh, where the infection has claimed at least 29lives so far, stands at 7.50 per cent, which is more thandouble 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, ChiefMinister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday asked officials toprovide best medical facilities to COVID-19 patients curb thefatality rate.

According to health officials, 385 people have so fartested coronavirus positive in the state, of whom 29 havesuccumbed to the infection till Wednesday night. The fatalityrates comes to 7.50 per cent of the total number of patientsin the state.

Till Wednesday night, the number of COVID-19 patientsin the country, as per , stood at 5,689. Of them, at least181 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 percent or more than double the national incidence.

A per the figures provided by the Indian Council ofMedical Research (ICMR) on Wednesday night, the virus hasinfected 5,274 people in the country. Of them, 149 died, itsaid.

The country's fatality rate was 2.8 per cent tillWednesday. The data given by the ICMR also revealed that MP'scasualty rate was 4.7 per cent or just double the nation-widedeaths.

Meanwhile, an official of the state's Public RelationsDepartment said Chouhan has taken stock of the coronavirussituation.

"Chouhan held a meeting here on Wednesday to takestock of the measures and directed officials to provide besthealthcare facilities to patients to bring down the fatalityrate," he said.

"Chouhan told the officials that right now, the deathrate is 7 to 7.50 per cent. The patients of coronavirus shouldbe treated as per the guidelines of the Centre," the officialsaid.

Chouhan told the officials to register an FIR againstpeople who hide the fact that they may be carriers of thevirus. They should first be treated and tried later, hetold them.

According to the health department officials, 385people in the state have tested coronavirus positive tillWednesday. Of them, 213 are from Indore, one of the the worsthit cities in India in terms of the infection.

Currently, 331 patients are being treated in differentdistricts of the state, they added.

The first cases of coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh werereported in Jabalpur city, where four persons, including twowomen with travel history abroad, tested positive on March 20.Within three weeks, it spread to most parts of the state. LAL MAS NPRSY RSY