89% of COVID deaths in West Bengal due to comorbidities, Mamata tells PM

New Delhi [India], August 11 (ANI): Nearly 89 per cent of COVID deaths in West Bengal were due to comorbidities like diabetes, cancer, hypertension, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee told Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a video conference on Tuesday.
Comorbidity refers to having multiple medical conditions at the same time which interact with each other in some way. COVID patients sometimes have ailments such as diabetes, cancer, hypertension that may make recovery difficult, experts say.
During the video conference with the PM with chief ministers on COVID-19, Banerjee urged the Centre to authorise the vaccine to be procured and used.
"At the start, we did emphasise on death audits but now it's vindicated that comorbidity is an important element in COVID deaths. About 89 per cent of COVID deaths in our state were due to comorbidities like diabetes, cancer, hypertension etc," she said.
Urging the Centre to issue guidelines on the procurement of vaccine, she added, "Central Government should authorise the vaccine to be procured and used. It must issue guidelines in this regard.
"We have COVID Warriors Club in every district. Our ASHAs and health workers have made 30 crore visits to 2.5 crore households in Bengal," she said.
Interacting with chief ministers, the PM said, "We need to follow a new mantra. All those who have come in contact with an infected person should be traced and tested within 72 hours."
"80 per cent of active cases are from 10 states. If the virus is defeated here, the entire country will emerge victoriously," the PM added.
"The target of bringing down the fatality rate below 1% can be achieved soon," the PM said. (ANI)