Combating COVID-19: IMA urges PM Modi for inclusive National solatium for doctors

New Delhi [India], Aug 30 (ANI): The Indian Medical Association on Sunday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him for an inclusive National solatium for doctors and their families in the wake of rising deaths of the healthcare workers in the line of COVID-19 duty.
"The solatium approved by the national government for their colleagues in government services in all fairness is deserved by the children of these martyrs as well," the association's letter read.
"Government of India has released the statistics that 87,000 health care workers have been infected and 573 of them have lost their lives due to COVID-19. The data has raised concerns all across the country. IMA's data for doctors alone has registered 307 deaths as of today and a total of 2,006 infected. 188 of those who died are General Practitioners who are the first point of contact for people," IMA wrote in its letter.
"Doctors suffer a higher viral load and a higher CFR (Case Fatality Rate) as a community. All doctors who have laid down their lives in fighting this epidemic should be treated at par with the martyrs of Indian Armed Forces and acknowledged appropriately. The surviving spouse or dependent should be provided a Government job as per their qualifications," the letter further read. (ANI)