Delhi: The clash of numbers between the Government and the medical fraternity over COVID warriors deaths was rekindled yesterday when the Minister of Health in the Rajya Sabha submitted the official numbers of doctors' deaths due to COVID-19.
During the parliament session, the Minister of State for Health, Ashwini Kumar Choubey informed that based on the intimations received from the states on Healthcare staff, including Doctors, Nurse and ASHA worker who have been affected and died from COVID-19 (As per Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP: Insurance Scheme) include 162 doctors, 107 nurses and 44 Asha workers. In March last year, the Central government announced that all healthcare workers at risk of contracting Covid could apply for insurance under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package. Under the scheme, claimants can receive up to Rs 50 lakh in case of death.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has opposed the claim of the government that only 162 doctors have succumbed to COVID in India. The association is of the view that the number of doctors who passed away due to COVID in India has already exceeded 700.
The association has strongly criticized the data presented before Rajya sabha and has requested the government to formulate a higher power committee that can present proper and appropriate data of the deceased doctors after making a thorough study.
In a letter addressed to Ashwini Kumar Choubey, honourable Minister of the State MOHFW, IMA expressed its shock by the number of deceased doctors presented. " 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", stated the letter.
The association stated that 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 recognize this aspect and give significant recognition.
Stating that it is unfortunate that in a devastating pandemic the front-line warriors of modern medicine had fought with altruism and in the bargain lost their lives, the association confirmed that the roll of honour or the appropriate data on this facility is well documented by the government of India. However, "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.
Hence, the association has requested the concerned authorities to appropriately and that's the hard work and contribution by the doctors in flattening the covid curve in India. IMA also requested to expedite the process of giving solatium to families at the earliest possible time.
The association in the letter also demanded that a higher power committee should be constituted by the government to make a thorough study of the entire data of deceased doctors and all those who had succumbed to COVID shall be honoured in no time.
Commenting on the issue, IMA President Dr. J.A. Jayalal told Medical Dialogues, " The Parliament is a place of essential importance hence it is absolutely necessary that the data and information that is being presented there is undisputedly accurate. This is high time that the health care workers and doctors all over the country should get validation for their hard work and dedication during the pandemic. We want that a higher power committee should be formed that will be responsible for doing a thorough research and will deliver a correct data report afresh to the government."
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