The Indian Medical Association has objected to the government determining that only 162 doctors have died due to COVID-19 in India. Minister of State for Health, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, gave the figures in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
“We are shocked by your announcement...” said the letter on Wednesday signed by Dr. J.A. Jayalal and Dr. Jayesh M. Lele, senior officials of the IMA. “ This is contrary to the data released by the IMA... 734 doctors lost their lives due to COVID of which 431 are general practitioners who are the first point of contact for the people. Sadly 25 doctors are below 35 years of age.”
Doctors were exposed to a higher viral load and thus, as a community, were more likely to die from the disease. The IMA was peeved that the government had “failed” to recognise this aspect and give significant recognition.
“We strongly condemn the apathy of the Government of India in verifying the data given by the IMA and also the delay in disbursing the solatium for the COVID martyrs’ families,” said the letter addressed to Mr. Choubey.
The association also demanded that a high power committee be set up by the government to “make a thorough study” of the data of deceased doctors.
Last year too, the IMA had objected to the government’s statements in both Houses of Parliament on the number of healthcare workers who had died.
India has confirmed a little over 10 million coronavirus cases since March, with only around 1% of them now considered active cases. About 154,000 have succumbed to the infection so far. Doctors and healthcare workers form the priority group in those vaccinated, with the government committing to inoculate 10 million doctors and 20 million associated healthcare workers before vaccinating the rest of the population. As of Wednesday, a little over 4 million healthcare workers (including doctors) have got one dose of one of the two-shot vaccines, Covishield or Covaxin.