Imphal, September 12: Inspite of having access to better medical facilities, death rates in urban areas outnumber those of the rural areas as per the census report of birth and death, said an official source.

The source informed that the 2001 census report indicates a decline in death rates at rural areas compared to the urban areas while birth rates in the two sections are comparatively similar.

Elaborating, the source said the 1981 census had put death the rates in rural areas ahead of those in urban areas at 6.8 to 4.5 percent.

While the rural area deaths declined marginally (5.4 PC) urban area chart showed an increase at 5.7 percent according to the 1991 census report.

The latest survey report recorded further increase of 6.1 percent deaths in urban areas compared to the rural area data of 4.8 pc.

Regarding birth rates, the official source put rural area growth as per 1981 census to 36.8 percent, 20.8 PC in the 1991 survey and 19 pc in 2001 compared to urban area recording 24.4 pc (1981), 18 pc (1991) and the latest survey figure 2001 registering decline at 15.9 pc.

For every single doctor there are 2674 patients with the nurse-patient ratio standing at 1/2305, mentioned the source without elaborating much on factors responsible for the marked differences in rural-urban death rates.

On the other hand, the source insisted that among special category States, Manipur has recorded 461 pc human developments as per data provided by the survey report of National Human Development with Mizoram occupying the second spot at 0.411 percent.

In the 1991 human development index among the special category states, Mizoram had topped the chart with 0.548 pc compared to Manipur's 0.536 pc in the same period.

The survey is based on reports concerning factors like economic, education and health sectors, said the source while adding that among the Manipur districts Imphal East and West is at the topmost followed by Bishnupur.

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