HYDERABAD: The Indian Medical Association has said 734 doctors had lost their lives due to Covid-19 in the country and not just 162 as Parliament has been informed.
The IMA on Wednesday wrote a letter to Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Union minister of state for health and family welfare, pointing out the number of deaths as per the details available with the association were more than the figures available with the government.
In the letter, Prof Dr J A Jayalal, National president and Dr Jayesh M Lele, honorary general secretary IMA, said they were shocked by the announcement made by the minister in the Rajya Sabha.
The minister had on Tuesday said that only 162 doctors died due to Covid- 19 in India as on January 22, 2021 since the onset of the disease in India last year.
The IMA said 734 doctors lost their lives due to Covid-19 in the country till date, of which 431 are the General Practitioners who are the first point of contact for the people.
“Sadly 25 doctors are below 35 years of age. Doctors suffer a higher viral load and a higher CFR (Case Fatality Ratio) as a community. IMA is constrained to point out that they would have stayed back at home during this pandemic safely. They chose to serve the nation in the best traditions of the medical profession. The Government of India failed to acknowledge this fact and give due significance and recognition,” IMA said.
The IMA said it was unfortunate that in a devastating pandemic the front line warriors of modern medicine had fought with altruism and in return not only lost their lives, but the roll of honour or the appropriate data on these fatalities was not documented properly by the government.
“We strongly condemn the apathy of Government of India in verifying the data given by the Indian Medical Association & also delay in disbursing the Solatium for the COVID Martyrs’ Families,” the doctors said.
“We are writing to you at this juncture to appropriately endorse the hardwork and contribution by our doctors in flattening the COVID curve in India. We fervently appeal to you to expedite the process of giving Solatium to families at the earliest possible time. We appeal that a high power committee should be constituted to make a thorough study on these data of the Government and all those who succumbed should be honoured,” IMA said.
Times of India
