COVID-19: Death toll in tribal areas, backward districts quadrupled in second wave

The second covid wave has affected the tribal-dominated and backward districts of Maharashtra the most. A shocking study of statistics shows that the number of covid deaths in these districts is twice or four times higher than the first wave.

Covide death were high in numbers in the first five months of 2021 than in the first nine months of 2020. In Gadchiroli district of Vidarbha, the number of victims in the first wave was 9020 with 102 deaths and the death rate was 1.13 per cent.The second wave had 19,969 patients and the death toll rose to 3.01 with 602 deaths.

The death toll in Gondia and Chandrapur, two other tribal-dominated districts, has also gone up. Although the death toll in Amravati district has more than doubled, the rate seems to be lower due to the high number of victims.

There were 8703 patients in the first wave in Nandurbar in North Maharashtra. Of these, 295 died and the mortality rate was 2.24 per cent, while the second wave had 28,580 patients with 610 deaths with death rate of 2.13 per cent.

In the Sindhudurg district of Konkan, coronavirus has more than doubled and the death rate is almost the same as the first wave. Surprisingly, in the tribal-dominated district of Palghar in Mumbai, however, Statistics show that in the second wave both death and mortality rate has decreased.

Why did death rate increased?

The intensity of the second wave is higher. The condition of the patients in the home isolation deteriorated and they became critical. In the first wave, many villages had followed lockdown. The second wave did not see that situation. News of the shortage of oxygen and Remdesivir caused panic. Due to which many death occcurred.

In the second wave, the corona spread rapidly. Serious patients increased. Even after experiencing the symptoms, many avoided to get tested. Many came late to the hospital for treatment. This led to an increase in deaths. -Dr. Vipin Itankar, Collector, Nanded.

Due to misunderstanding, people in rural areas did not even come forward to test the corona. People were scared to be admitted to the hospital as there was a well-equipped health system at the district headquarters, including in rural areas. Many were hospitalized at the last minute and could not respond to treatment. - Deepak Singh, Collector, Gadchiroli

Marathwada: In Hingoli district, 3516 patients were found in the first wave and 53 died. In the second wave 12,043 patients were found and 297 deaths. The death toll rose from 1.50 per cent in the first wave to 2.46 per cent in the second wave. Covid deaths in Parbhani and Nanded districts more than doubled, but the rate seems to have declined due to the high number of victims.