Jharkhand reported at least 10 deaths due to medical negligence, the fifth highest among states and Union territories in 2020, when the first wave of Covid-19 wreaked havoc on the entire country, latest data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has revealed.

While there was no official confirmation from the state government on the causes of these deaths, NCRB findings indicate that patients may have died either due to shortage of beds in hospitals, leading to delayed treatment or unavailability of important drugs, sources from hospitals in the state said.

As per NCRB records, Uttar Pradesh reported the highest number of deaths due to medical negligence in 2020, followed by Rajasthan, Telangana and Madhya Pradesh. At least 29 people died due to medical negligence in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, while 23 died in Rajasthan, 16 in Telangana and 11 in Madhya Pradesh during this period.

While NCRB has not categorically defined medical negligence in context of its annual report, most legal websites define medical negligence as misconduct by a medical practitioner or doctor by not providing enough care resulting in breach of their duties.

As per records with the state health department, about 1000 Jharkhand residents died of Covid-19 in the year 2020. The toll was at least three times higher during the second wave of the pandemic in the year 2021.

Jharkhand, however, reported zero deaths due to negligence of civic bodies in the year 2020. At least 13 deaths occurred in Jharkhand due to negligence relating to rail accidents, while as many as 2930 state residents died due to negligence related to road accidents that year, the NCRB report highlighted.

A total of 135 deaths due to medical negligence were reported in India in 2020, while 53 people died due to negligence of civic bodies and 52 due to negligence relating to rail accidents, NCRB data revealed. At least 1,33,715 people died due to negligence relating to road accidents in India during this period, NCRB data further highlighted.

Even during the Covid crisis, superstition continued to cause deaths in rural Jharkhand. As per NCRB data, at least 15 women were killed in Jharkhand on charges of practicing witchcraft in year 2020, the third highest among states in India. At least one person in Jharkhand also fell prey to the superstitious practice of human sacrifice, NCRB report stated. Jharkhand had topped in witch-hunting cases for five consecutive years from 2011 to 2016.