Doubting Covid-19 death figures in State as provided by Government, the Orissa High Court has pointed out several discrepancies in Government affidavit made in this regard. The Government figures showed that State recorded 3,097 deaths only in 47 days between July 15 and August 31 this year.
“Earlier, it was reported that there were 4925 deaths as of July 15, 2021. (But) the affidavit of September 6, 2021 shows there were 8022 deaths in Odisha due to pandemic as on August 31, 2021,” the HC said questioning the manner in which these figures have been arrived at.
A Division Bench headed by Chief Justice S Muralidhar is now adjudicating a writ petition for over five months in which petitioners Sohan Mishra and others have sought a direction to Union Government for facilitating Covid vaccination for elderly and differently-abled citizens of Odisha.
The State Additional Chief Secretary of Health in an affidavit of September 6 has stated that by September 4, exactly 34,09,117 persons aged 60 and above have received first dose of vaccine. Of them, only 17,65,909 have received a second dose against an estimated target of 44.57 lakh.
The affidavit further informed that by September 4, a 2.35 crore doses of vaccines have been administered to citizens above 18 year, of which only 58.20 lakh have received both doses. “The State is taking adequate steps to vaccinate all eligible citizens within shortest possible time,” the affidavit said.
The HC, however, questioned estimated target population of elderly population and asked State Government to clarify whether target has been fixed on basis of 2011 census or estimated figure of 2021.
“These figures also do not address issue of persons with disabilities and peculiar problems they have, irrespective of age, in receiving the vaccines,” the HC observed.