Bengal witnesses 25 drowning deaths every day: Study

Kolkata, July 24 A recent survey by the India unit of a global research body had pointed out that West Bengal is witnessing 25 drowning deaths every day, with 13 among them being children.

The study paper by the Indian unit of the George Institute for Global Health, a copy of which is available with IANS, has also revealed that West Bengal faced a far worse drowning crisis than official data suggests.

The survey is the largest of its kind ever conducted in India, covering all 23 districts of West Bengal, a population of 18 million people, the institute authorities claimed.

George Institute for Global Health, an independent medical research institute headquartered in Australia with offices in India, China and the UK, researches non-communicable diseases and large-scale clinical studies.

“The survey, supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, found that 9,191 people in West Bengal die from drowning each year – nearly triple the Global Burden of Disease estimates, exposing a massive gap in our understanding of this preventable public health emergency,” a statement issued by the George Institute on Thursday read.

While surveying the matter, the researchers used a low-cost Community Knowledge Approach, engaging over 15,000 community members to report deaths in their neighbourhoods, which were subsequently validated through household surveys with victims’ families.

According to Dr Medhavi Gupta from the George Institute, the true extent of drowning deaths in West Bengal -- and likely across many parts of India -- has remained largely invisible.

"As most deaths occur among children, families do not have legal or financial incentives to report deaths to authorities. Poor reach and utilisation of healthcare infrastructure also mean deaths are missed by the system. This research uncovers the true, devastating burden plaguing rural regions of West Bengal,” Gupta.

The report has suggested some measures to bring down the cases of drowning deaths in West Bengal. The suggestions include fencing around ponds and open water sources to safeguard toddlers aged 1-2 years, especially near homes to be initiated by local civic bodies, integrating survival swim and water safety training into school curricula for children aged between six and ten years through the state school education department, and strengthening local capacity in safe rescue and resuscitation, considering that over 90 per cent of drowning rescues are performed by family members or neighbours.

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