WHO via diplomatic channels with data that we don't agree with the methodology followed for us," he added. However, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director-General said, "Once we have this systematic data, we do not need to rely on modelling, extrapolations and taking press reports and utilising them for putting into a modelling exercise." AIIMS Hospital, Delhi Director Randeep Guleria also opposed WHO's approach for counting the excess deaths.
Guleria told ANI news agency, "I have objections and I will give three reasons for that. India has a very robust system of birth and death registration which has been going on for decades.
We know it works very well and that data is available". "Secondly-- data that WHO used is more on hearsay evidence-- what's there in media or unconfirmed sources.
That data is questionable. Modelling on that data isn't the correct," the AIIMS Director added. Giving the last reason Dr Guleria said India has been very liberal in offering compensation for people who died of Covid, that is, there is a very open manner. "So, even if there were excessive deaths that were COVID related, they would have been recorded because people would have come forward, and their relatives would have come forward for compensation.