196 doctors in India died fighting against COVID-19 pandemic
Health workers in India demanding better protection and safety equipment
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) says 196 doctors have
died of COVID-19 so far while over 1,600 have been infected by COVID-19. IMA
has written an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting adequate
care for physicians and their families.
Maharashtra is the worst-hit state in terms of the
percentage of doctors who died after getting infected to coronavirus. While the
overall fatality rate of doctors who died of COVID-19 stood at 8 per cent,
Maharashtra's percentage is at 20.
According to IMA National COVID registry data, of the total
1,302 doctors infected with COVID-19, 196 have succumbed to the disease. Of
those dead, 73 were above the age of 50 years, 19 in the age-group of 35-50 and
seven below 35 years, the data showed.
"IMA declares RED ALERT to doctors and medical
administrators to raise their guard. If COVID-19 mortality has to be lessened,
it has to start with doctors and hospitals," the doctors' body said in a
statement.
The IMA strongly advocated the leadership of doctors in
adopting all scientific best practices. This requires intense review and
updating of all administrative set ups in the hospitals, including infection
control protocols. Any gap in providing for the safety of doctors, nurses and
staff have to be plugged, it said in the statement.
"Analysis of data shows that while senior and young
doctors are equally infected with COVID-19, mortality is higher among elders.
While this is on expected lines, there is scope for lessening deaths across the
age spectrum.
National President of IMA Dr Rajan Sharma said that while
the medical profession remains the beacon of hope for the nation to lead the
exit from the pandemic, COVID-19 death among doctors has become a matter of
great concern.
"IMA strongly advocates the leadership of doctors in
adopting all scientific best practices. Doctors need to take charge of the
situation and ensure the safety of themselves, their families, their colleagues
and staff."
Working hours should be tempered by concerns of safety.
Providing for personal protection equipment (PPEs), training, physical distancing and sanitisers should be
monitored on daily basis. Operation theaters, labour rooms, laboratories and
casualties require special care. Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and Critical Care Units (CCU) deserve close
scrutiny for adherence to best practices and protocols," Secretary General
of IMA Dr RV Asokan said.
India has been posting an average of around 50,000 new cases
a day since mid-June and has the third-highest caseload in the world after the
United States and Brazil. It has the fifth-most deaths but its fatality rate of
about 2 percent is far lower than the top two hardest-hit countries.
Even as India has maintained comparatively low mortality
rates, the disease has spread widely across the country.
Rukhsana Manzoor Deputy Editor
Post a Comment