translated from Spanish: Comptroller reported differences detected in Covid-19 death figures

The Comptroller General of the Republic released a final report showing the data provided by the Ministry of Health on the Covid-19 pandemic in Chile which revealed inconsistencies in two balance sheets with respect to the death tolls. Those two balance sheets where differences occurred occurred on June 10 and July 23, the agency reported. On the one hand, the balance that occurred on June 10 detected a difference of 2,200 deaths between the statistics reported by the Minsal and the FIGUREs of the DEIS, a situation that was adjusted following the recommendation of the Comptrollership.According to the document delivered by the agency “The Minsal reported in its official report of June 10, 2020 – with a cut-off date of 9 month and year- , the number of 2,475 cases of confirmed deaths from Covid-19. However, both the Department of Health Statistics and Information, DEIS, and the Comptroller General agreed that the number of deaths, to that court, because of this disease according to the various sources of information (…) was 4,675, so a smaller number of 2,200 deaths were reported.” The lower number reported obeyed that the criterion used by Minsal at that date considered the deaths that met the condition of having a positive PCR examination and a death certificate expressly indicating the term covid-19, a situation that remained from the beginning of the pandemic until 16 July this year,” he explains. On 17 June Minsal changed the criteria for reporting official figures for the deceased, beginning to report those recorded by the DEIS. Thus, the figures reported on 23 of it “verified that on that occasion the amount reported was adjusted to what is determined by the DEIS, a number that is consistent with that calculated by this Audit Institution”. However, a second difference was detected in the same balance. This was reported a total of 8,838 deaths confirmed by Covid-19, a figure that was in line with deIS for that category.” However, the report did not consider the 4,176 deaths suspected or likely to bear the disease, which the DEIS was similarly referred to the Minsal, because according to the criteria adopted by the entity, these are only included in the weekly report of deaths by covid-19, prepared by that department, which is annexed to the corresponding epidemiological report, a situation that would not fully conform to the who’s point” the writing says. Finally, the Comptroller stated that “in respect of both situations, the Undersecretariat of Public Health shall take the measures it deems appropriate and inform this Control Entity, within 20 working days of receipt of this office”

Original source in Spanish