Health services restricted, Haryana infant deaths rise 46% in lockdown

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 4

A whopping 46 per cent rise has been witnessed in the number of deaths of infants in Haryana between April and June this year compared to the corresponding period in 2019, information accessed under the Right to Information has revealed. Experts have blamed the increase on restricted access to health services during the initial phases of lockdown.

Also, the overall deaths rose by over 2 per cent despite far lesser road accidents taking place during the period.

A total of 1,208 infants, including 649 males and 559 females, died during the April-June quarter, according to information provided by the Civil Registration System. The corresponding period last year saw 828 deaths—418 males and 410 females—a rise of 45.9 per cent.

As many as 691 infants were below seven days, 182 were between seven and 28 days and 335 were in the age group of 28 days to one year. The corresponding figures for 2019 stood at 439, 110 and 279. Around 1.07 lakh births took place in the 2020 quarter compared to 1.04 lakh last year.

The maximum infant deaths occurred in Rohtak (377), Nuh (97), Faridabad (79), Hisar (76) and Karnal (64). With 119 deaths, Hisar led last year’s tally, followed by Nuh (110). The Tribune procured the information under the RTI from the state Health Department’s Birth and Death Registration wing.

“The infant deaths have risen as extension health staff like ANMs and ASHA workers were busy in Covid duty,” maintained Prof Aswini Nanda, Health Economist, Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID), Chandigarh.

Prof Nanda said during the initial phases of lockdown, there was no transport facility available and OPDs in government and private hospitals were shut too. “Even people avoided hospitals fearing Covid,” he said.

In all, 45,284 deaths, including those of Covid, took place across all age groups in the state in the April-June period, a rise of 2.1 per cent compared to 44,334 in the 2019 corresponding quarter.

Health Minister Anil Vij and Additional Chief Secretary (Health) did not respond to calls on their cell phones.

Dr Prabhakar Sharma, Indian Medical Association’s state unit president, said, “There was miscommunication from the government on the closure of OPDs towards March end. So, we recommended their closure. Following government directives in mid-April, we reopened the OPDs as patients were suffering even as the government facilities remained shut.”

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.