Maharashtra : 12,789 newborns died in 2020 lockdown, Reveals RTI report

Mumbai : According to a RTI report, between February 2020 and December 2020, a total of 12,179 newborns died in Maharashtra. They all were between 0 and 1 year old. District-wise data has shown that Mumbai, Akola, Aurangabad, Nashik, Nagpur and Pune have 4,411 infant mortality rates. Which is 36.22% of the total deaths.

Mumbai had the highest number of 1,097 deaths, followed by Akola 783, Aurangabad 729, Nashik 664, Nagpur 587, and Pune 551. Sindhudurg 46, Latur 78, and Washim 89 are the three districts which have recorded the lowest infant deaths.

This RTI was filed by an NGO endorsement which is working in the field of human rights and malnutrition. NGO coordinator Rupesh Keer said that the information we have received is shocking. In Maharashtra, 12,179 newborns died in 2020.

At the same time, the number of deaths of children between 1 and 5 years is 1,872. Last year, there was a lockdown in the country from February to December. He said that he was highlighting the problem of malnutrition in the rural and tribal belts of the state, but these numbers indicated the need to work in cities like Mumbai.

The NGO has sent a letter to Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope highlighting the data received under the RTI. The letter cited various causes of infant deaths, including premature birth, malnutrition of mother and child, infection, pneumonia and breathing problems.

The letter states, “The high number of deaths in urban areas is a concern and steps need to be taken to deal with it.”