Hyderabad: Old city witnessed spike in deaths

Hyderabad: During the first wave of the pandemic many deaths occurred due to COVID-19 as well as due to other diseases as health care services were over burdened.

According to a report published in New Indian Express, two circles of the GHMC namely Charminar and Goshamahal out of 18 erstwhile circles have issued 8,424 and 1,924 death certificates respectively in the period starting from April 2020 to April 2021. It is an increase of nearly 79 percent and 63 percent when compared to the period from April 2019 to March 2020. Between April 2019 and March 2020, Charminar and Goshamahal circles



issued 4,711 and 1,194 death certificates respectively. 

In the entire GHMC area, the number of death certificates issued increased from 65, 019 to 74, 253 which is an increase of 14.2 percent.

Professor BR Shamanna, School of Medical Sciences, University of Hyderabad, was quoted by the New Indian Expressing as saying, "Many persons such as dialysis patients and diabetic patients might have died due to lack of medical treatment at the appropriate time. Some patients may have died due to COVID-19 during home isolation and those figures might not have been recorded".