Viral hepatitis deaths down by 93% in Gujarat, docs question govt data

Only 6 deaths reported in 2013; many docs raise doubts over the data...
It seems the state government has achieved remarkable success in controlling deaths due to viral hepatitis. If government data is to be believed, there has been a significant drop in mortality due to viral hepatitis in Gujarat. The official data, which is in the possession of dna, reveals that in past five years, deaths due to the disease have gone down by 93% in the state.

As against 99 deaths reported in 2009, only six deaths due to the disease were recorded in 2013. Interestingly, the number of cases of viral hepatitis increased during the same period.

Viral hepatitis is inflamation of liver due to some viral infection.

A state health department official, who did not wish to be named, said that growing awareness and better sanitation facilities have helped in bringing down mortality due to such infections.

“The number of hepatitis cases and resultant deaths in Gujarat are quite low compared to other states. We conduct campaigns on a regular basis to make people aware of various precautionary measures to be taken to safeguard against hepatitis,” the official said.

City-based private doctors have, however, raised doubts over the data.

Talking to dna, Dr Avinash Tank, surgical gastroenterologist at Shalby hospitals said better treatment facilities might have brought down the mortality by 20 to 30% but definitely not by 93%.

“The data provided by the health department might be wrong or manipulated,” he said.

One of the reasons for viral hepatitis mortality figures going down may be that such deaths are not being reported, he said. Citing an example, Tank said: “If a person is suffering from hepatitis leading to cardiac arrest or sudden death, due to lack of proper investigation, the cause of death may be mentioned as cardiac arrest and not viral hepatitis, which is not reflected in the data,” he said.

Liver experts also opined that in rural areas deaths go unreported, so the reason for death also remains unreported.

Dr Sanjay Rajput, another gastroenterologist said: “In chronic hepatitis like B and C, early detection is low. So, when patients in chronic stages die without detection, the prime reason for the demise, which is hepatitis, goes unrecorded. And such cases are very common in rural areas.”

Echoing similar opinion, Dr Shravan Bohra, gastroenterologists & liver specialist, said that it was impossible to believe the data. “No drastic medical improvement has happened in the treatment of viral hepatitis that would help in reducing death rate to such an extent.”

Moreover, the data that was sought through RTI, also revealed that the number of hepatitis cases has increased in the same period. In 2009, 3068 cases were reported which surged to 3676 in 2013.

“I think the data only represents figures from public hospitals. It is also possible that the number reflects the patients who were admitted for treatment and excludes outdoor patients,” said Dr Rajiv Bansal, gastroenterologist, Narayana Multispeciality hospital.