(1) Medical certification of cause of Death has been standardized in India way before Covid. In fact, India too follows the WHO ICD-10 codes. Its NOT correct that ICMR came up with some new rule just for Covid deaths. It has always been Immediate, Antecedent & Others ...
(2) Check out the recent ICMR guideline (which is being bandied about) and the guidelines on medical certification of cause of death from the registrar general. No difference, right? The later was published in 2018 (was the same in all previous editions as well). 
(3) Did Deaths happen due to lack of Oxygen? Of course Yes - only an idiot or an insensitive person will deny that. Did the Govt refute this fact? No - the Govt was asked do you have exact numbers. Of course the Govt doesn't because our death certification never captured that.
(4) Health being a State subject, no State Govt (BJP, Cong, basically all) will voluntarily report shortages as it would be perceived as a governance failure. States even threatened to jail Hosp. Admin. & Doctors who raised the O2 shortage issue - we have all seen those reports.
(5) Long story short - the value of human lives and dignity in India is not the same as in more developed nations. This is not a recent phenomena - it has been the same since decades now. If you are not rich or influential, when push comes to shove, you will be screwed over.
(6) Its not like its all bleak. Things are improving. But with a country of our size & diversity, progress is slow. Its up to us basically. We need to focus on what is important. we need to keep pushing the Govt to deliver - irrespective of which political party is in power.
(7) And above all, we need to clearly differentiate between the Govt & the Nation. THEY ARE NOT THE SAME. Nothing & no one is above the Country & its citizens-let no one tell you otherwise! Indians died-and sadly, Indians are fighting among themselves to protect those responsible
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