Over the last few weeks, Jammu division has witnessed more deaths than Kashmir even though the Valley is leading in infections, official data shows.
In the first five days of May, the UT has recorded at least 20,500 cases, of which 13,800 (67%) were reported in Kashmir and 6,600(32%) in Jammu.
In the same period, J&K lost 228 people to the virus, of which 82 (36%) were in Kashmir and 146 (64%) in Jammu.
“In the last fortnight, Covid-related deaths in Jammu have been more than Kashmir. There may be multiple reasons for this and a threadbare analysis is required to come to a conclusion,” said Dr Rajiv Gupta,head community medicine, Government Medical College, Jammu.
In April, of approximately 45,000 cases, the highest monthly total since the pandemic outbreak in the UT, Kashmir had reported 28,500 cases and Jammu 16,500.
Of the 289 people who succumbed to Covid in April, 136 were in Kashmir and 153 in Jammu. Gupta said one of the reasons for more fatalities in Jammu was people’s hesitance to report to hospitals on time.
“Because of social stigma, people reach hospitals after their oxygen levels have dropped significantly. This shows that the people of Kashmir report to health care facilities immediately,” he said.
“The mutant virus also appears to have more transmissibility and virulence. Besides the health infrastructure in Kashmir is slightly better than Jammu,” he said.
However, the overall Covid situation is worse in Kashmir than Jammu. The overall cases till May 5 were 1,96,585 — 120,405 in Kashmir and 76,180 in Jammu. Of 2,510 fatalities, 1476 were recorded in Kashmir and 1,034 in Jammu division.
A health official of Kashmir, on condition of anonymity, said he believes many Covid cases may be getting missed in Jammu even though testing rate is same in both divisions. “Covid cases can be missed but deaths cannot be missed. The quality of testing and whom to test makes the difference,” he said.
He also said that Kashmir’s healthcare status was better than many other Indian states. “We have better management here,” he said.
Social Reforms Organisation, Kashmir, an NGO providing oxygen, equipments, ambulances and burial support to Covid patients in Kashmir, said that the community support for coronavirus patients in Jammu was lacking.
“Our call data reveals that there is very little community support prevalent in Jammu. Everyone who needs oxygen support at home does not get it,” it said in a tweet.
“Many people who died could have survived, if provided with help on time. Jammu has to fill the void,” the organisation said.
Jammu leading in deaths, Kashmir in infections
