Indian Medical Association, a national voluntary organisation of medical doctors, has lashed out at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare alleging a lack of transparency in reporting of COVID19 deaths in the country.

In a press statement issued on May 8, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) said: “Hundreds of dead happening in big hospitals are shown as non-COVID deaths and crematoriums are showing houseful boards. Why we are trying to hide actual deaths?”

The statement came after 4,187 daily COVID19 deaths were recorded on May 7, the highest single day spike in corona death cases in India.

The doctors’ association also highlighted that “we have lost 756 doctors in the first wave and in the second wave, more than 146 doctors have died within a short period”.

The association alleged that the health ministry had not taken appropriate action to deal with the second COVID-19 wave and that it should ‘wake up’ and respond to mitigate the growing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“IMA demands health ministry to wake up from slumber and responds to mitigate the growing challenges in COVID pandemic. IMA is astonished to see the extreme lethargy and inappropriate actions from the ministry of health in combating the agonizing crisis born out of the devastating second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic,” it said.

‘Life is precious than the economy’

As per the statement, the IMA has been insisting on the need for a complete and well-planned national lockdown rather than few states declaring complete lockdown ranging for 10 days to 15 days, so as to get ‘breathing time’ for healthcare infrastructure to recoup and replenish both material and humanpower.

“The central government has refused to implement lockdown, resulting in mounting of new patients beyond four lakhs every day and the number of moderate to severe cases are increasing to nearly 40 per cent. Sporadic night curfews have not done any good. Life is precious than the economy,” the IMA said.

The press statement continues to allege that the requests made by the IMA were ‘put into the dustbin’, and often without realising the ground realities the decisions are taken.

‘Ministry has failed to ensure vaccine stock’

The IMA has made more allegations. It claims that the association made persistent calls for vaccination of all in the 18 to 45 years of age. It is ‘unfortunate’ that the ministry has failed to make the necessary required road map and ensure vaccine stock. As a result, vaccination could not be rolled out at the majority of the places, the IMA said.

Earlier, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured that with phase three of the vaccination drive in the country, vaccination for those above 18 years of age would begin from May 1. However, the same could not be started at many places.

“When the Prime minister notification is not implemented scrupulously, who is to be blamed?” the IMA said.

‘Oxygen crisis in India’

In the statement, the IMA also highlighted the shortage of humanpower, essential drugs for the treatment of COVID19, and the ‘oxygen crisis’ in the country.

“Most of the private hospitals are not getting oxygen and patients are suffering to get oxygen in the needed amount,” the press statement signed by JA Jayalal, national president of IMA and Jayesh M Lele, honorary secretary general of IMA noted.

The statement continues to read that the “imported oxygen concentrators and oxygen plants are yet to reach beneficiaries. IMA appeal, as the time is running out with the impending crisis lest we deepen the crisis, solve it on a war footing.”

As the government is not seen at the forefront to solve these issues, the people are knocking at the doors of courts to get justice, alleged the association.

Over the shortage of essential drugs for treatment of COVID19 patients, the IMA suggested price capping and systematic tracking with surveillance. It alleged that the government ‘is not interested’ in capping the price.

At the end, the association demanded that a new integrated ministry be established to serve in this pandemic with a dedicated, proactive, vibrant, innovative, and altruistic minister and alleviate the fear of people by leading from the front.

It also demanded augmentation of infrastructure, materials, humanpower by increasing the healthcare budget from one per cent of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) to 8-10 per cent of the GDP. “And judiciously use the earmarked budget amount for ensuring equitable and affordable Universal vaccination,” said the IMA.