No matter, the Government has been contesting the claims of excess deaths right from the start of the pandemic; it even isn’t still ready to accept that there were so many deaths due to COVID that the dead bodies were thrown into Ganga. Apart from the WHO, there have been a number of researches, studies as well as studies and surveys conducted in India as well as outside India, which refuted the claims of the numbers the Government has given out on the COVID deaths. The Government has been refusing to accept these studies—in total contrast to the official numbers—and now it is staring at the face of the WHO which is all set to make the numbers public.
In this regard, a story was also published by the NYT which clearly stated what India was doing concerning stalling the release of WHO’s report on the COVID deaths. India, however, has maintained that it does not agree with the methodology of WHO used to calculate the COVID-19 death toll. India on the other side said that it has been in regular and in-depth technical exchange with WHO on the issue and the analysis while using mortality figures directly obtained from Tier –I set of countries, uses a mathematical modelling process for Tier II countries (which includes India). India’s basic objection has not been with the result but rather the methodology adopted for the same.
While India’s concern specifically includes how the statistical model projects estimates for a country of geographical size & population of India and also fits in with other countries which have a smaller population, there is a need for the country to understand the sensitivity of the issue. The issue which has now been raked up directly questions India’s ability to effectively collect data, and if the path is not trodden carefully, then, India might end up being categorized with countries like China, which loves to censor everything, including data. There is a need for finding a way out to end the quagmire, either WHO should satisfy India on the use of its methodology and go ahead with the publication of its report, or India needs to do that so that its numbers on COVID deaths are accepted and incorporated.
