PUNE: A substantial 68% of Covid patients who died of complications at state-run medical colleges and hospitals in the last 48 days were unvaccinated, the latest report by Maharashtra's Medical Education and Drug Department has said. The remaining 32% included fully and partly vaccinated patients, both with or without underlying medical conditions.
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Overall, there were 807 Covid-19 deaths in the state from December 1 to January 17— across private and government facilities.
Of these deaths, 151 were recorded at hospitals attached to state-run medical colleges and were analysed in the MEDD report as these institutes come under the department.
Officials said that 102 of the 151 patients who died had not received a single dose of the vaccine. The 49 others had got either a single dose or both shots. Some of them had also reported late to hospitals, only after their symptoms worsened, the officials said.
The state’s Covid task force head, Dr Sanjay Oak, said the figures clearly show staying unvaccinated is certainly not a good idea.
He added, "Legally, we cannot make vaccination mandatory. Therefore, the only option open is to educate and sensitise people to take the shot. We need to send the message out loud and clear that if you vaccinate, well, you may still get the infection, but if you remain unvaccinated then you are more likely to get severe Covid and may even land up with complications. A large chunk of Covid deaths in the United States is also being observed among the unvaccinated."
