CHENNAI: Nothing is wrong with the healthcare scene in the city, except
the way the corporation records causes of deaths. That’s Mayor Saidai Duraiwamy contesting the TOI report on Tuesday that 29 people in the city died of cholera between January and June this year.

To buttress the argument that some data entry operators had erred, the
mayor has pulled up the corporation commissioner. The mayor made the
statement that the figures were wrong, when councillors at the council
meeting on Wedesday sought an explanation on the large number of cholera
deaths.

The report published by TOI was sourced from the
corporation’s own death registry. In a rejoinder, sent to the newspaper
minutes after the council meeting, the corporation said the data
operators, who were on contract, had made a wrong entry. “The data entry
form has got a drop down box with 40 diseases and some of the cardiac
arrest cases were incorrectly selected as cholera,” the rejoinder said.

Duraisamy said he was upset that the job of recording deaths was left
to contract labourers instead of doctors. “I have written to the
commissioner asking why such a serious job was being carried out by
untrained staff,” Duraisamy said. Corporation Commissioner D Karthikeyan refused to comment.

It may be the first time the civic body has acknowledged a faulty
system, but it’s not the first time the agency is denying or
under-reporting deaths due to communicable diseases. The corporation had
done it with H1N1 deaths, dengue and rabies in both government and
private hospitals. Doctors say they are often asked not to announce the
cause of death if it was due to a communicable disease.

In
2010, a leading hospital was pulled up for announcing the death of a
child due to dengue. “Every time we speak to the media, it is with an
intention to alert public about certain diseases, but we are always
threatened to withdraw our statement the next day,” said a senior doctor
who refused to go on record.

According to the Public Health
Act, whenever a patient is diagnosed with a communicable disease, the
doctor has to alert the corporation. “This is done so that officials can
visit their area of residence or work and ensure that the disease does
not spread. In case of death, a certificate is sent to the corporation,”
said Dr S Elango, former director of public health.

Former mayor M Subramanian and DMK
floor leader T Subash Chandra Bose said they were surprised with the
mayor’s story. Subramanian said the health officer should have done
weekly reviews to ensure errors don’t crop up in the registry. “Death
registry is a very important data base for the corporation. It is
complied and sent to the state and centre for policy decisions and
schemes. An error there is a shame for the corporation,” said
Subramanian.

His party colleague Bose said it was an attempt by
corporation to underplay communicable diseases. “It would be better if
they said there was a cholera outbreak. At least people would get
treated,” he said.