NITI Aayog member dismisses charges of overstated COVID fatalities, claiming that CRS report is accurate

According to Dr VK Paul, a member of the (Health) Niti Aayog on Tuesday, the number of deaths reported by the Civil Registration System 2020 (CRS) of 4.75 lakh in 2020 reveals “the truth” about the fatalities recorded and aids in the analysis of the country’s mortality load.

“What you see in this (CRS) report is the actual number of deaths reported by states and written by the Office of the Registrar General of India,” Paul explained to ANI. The NITI Aayog member explained the science and data underlying the number of deaths, saying, “The number of deaths includes fatalities recorded owing to all causes like COVID-19, natural, maternal, newborn, everything.”

So, looking at the big picture, it helps us comprehend the country’s mortality burden in the calendar year 2020. Calling the data “simple truth” obtained from a well-supervised resilient system, it is not an issue of which model was used. It is a straightforward fact gained from a well-designed system. There is no specific model. It is a system that has been shaped and curated over a long period of time.

The NITI Aayog member also refuted statements made by several foreign media publications that COVID-19 mortality is eight times higher in India than in other countries. Before making such assertions, he encouraged them to be “careful.”

“I urge those who are generating a narrative that mortality is eight times higher than reported to be cautious in doing so since we have the actual figures with us thanks to a methodical process that follows a timeframe. The excess death rate is currently known to be 4.75 lakh. “

On Tuesday, the Central Government released the Civil Registration System (CRS) report 2020, which is based on birth and death records in the country.

According to the CRS, death registration increased by 4.75 lakh in 2020 compared to 2019.

Death registrations increased by 4.87 lakh and 6.90 lakh, respectively, in 2018 and 2019. The number of fatalities recorded has risen from 76.4 lakh in 2019 to 81.2 lakh in 2020.

According to the MoHFW website (as of April 28, 2022), there have been 5,23,693 COVID-related deaths. In the year 2020, 1,48,994 individuals died, rising to 3,32,492 in 2021 and 40,207 in 2022.