Death of data: India doesn’t know how most Indians die

Context: public policy today is heavily data-dependent. Thus the quality of data needs urgent attention.

What are the findings of MCCD report?

The 2020 report on Medically Certified Cause of Deaths (MCCD) has been released recently. The data was based on the civil registration system set up in the 19th century.

The key finding of the report is that a mere 22.5% of the 8.1 million deaths in 2020 were medically certified. However, it is still an improvement over the previous year’s 20.7%.

The state-wise data suggests that registrations are 3.4% in Bihar, 6.1% in Jharkhand, and 6.7% in MP.

Not all hospitals report data. For instance, only 30% of Tamil Nadu’s medical institutions with in-patient facilities are covered by MCCD reporting requirements.

What should be done?

All hospitals with in-patient facilities must be mandated to report MCCD. By that, it will be easier to identify key weaknesses in the registration system.

Panchayats and grassroots medical workers can then be roped in for facilitating hospital access.

Source: This post is created based on the article “Death of data: India doesn’t know how most Indians die” published in Live Mint on 30^th May 2022.