Patiala saw 20% more applications for death certificates in past 3 months

Ravneet Singh

Tribune News Service

Patiala, June 8

The number of death certificates issued by the Municipal Corporation, Patiala, from March to May witnessed an overall increase of 20 per cent from the count of the previous year.

The MC received fewer applications in March and April last year in comparison to the same months this year. However, the number of applications increased in May. The city was under lockdown during the period. As per the data procured from the MC, 181 death certificates were issued in March last year, which increased by over 50 per cent in the same month this year. The count rose to 279.

In April 2020, the MC issued 147 certificates as per applications received, which again witnessed an increase of 52 per cent in the same month this year as 309 certificates were released. The corporation, meanwhile, issued a whopping 390 death certificates in May last year, 29 per cent more than that of this year, when it issued only 274 certificates.

The total of three months of 2021 subsequently came down to an increase of 20 per cent of applications received from March to May last year.

Meanwhile, the data of Municipal Corporation’s death certificates matched with that of deaths recorded by the Health Department in the city. The Health Department, however, does not have any record of deaths as of March 2020.

Department officials said: “We did not receive any reports in March last year, which is why the data is nil for the month.” Civil Surgeon Dr Satinder Singh said: “All records are maintained and death reports are issued without any delay.”

Municipal Corporation Joint Commissioner Lal Vishwas said: “We provide the certificates as per applications received, data of the health department and that of the crematoriums. Death and birth certificates are issued at the earliest.”

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