At least 594 doctors have died across India during the second wave of COVID-19. This means on an average 10 doctors died every day in the country in the two months of the raging second wave.
“In a very short period of one-and-a-half to two months, five hundred and ninety four doctors have died,” Jayesh Lele, secretary general of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), told Gaon Connection.
“Last year, seven hundred and forty eight doctors died in the first wave of the pandemic,” Lele said. This means 1,342 doctors have died in the line of duty ever since the pandemic began last year.
Simply put, this means that since March 2020, on an average, three doctors have died in the country every day.
The IMA has also shared state-wise data of deaths in the second wave. According to it, the maximum number of deaths — 107 — have been recorded in Delhi, followed by Bihar at 96 deaths of doctors and Uttar Pradesh at 67 deaths.
No clarity on insurance coverage for doctors
On the one hand, doctors are dying in the pandemic, on the other hand there is no clarity on insurance coverage for the doctors, complains IMA.
Last year, the central government introduced the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package Insurance scheme for all healthcare workers engaged in COVID19 response. The insurance scheme provides a life insurance cover of Rs 50 lakhs [Rs 5 million] in case of death due to the coronavirus.
The doctors’ association claims the government has not acknowledged the deaths of these doctors, hence no compensation.
“The government has not even acknowledged the data of doctors deaths till date. So how can we expect compensation? The procedure is also cumbersome,” Rajan Sharma, former president of the doctor’s association, told Gaon Connection.
Meanwhile, the current secretary general of the IMA said that during March and April this year, when the COVID19 cases were rising, the IMA informed the central government to renew the scheme.
“So far, we have not received any information regarding insurance coverage. In fact in the months of March and April only when the cases were rising, we had informed the government to renew the scheme that promised fifty lakh rupees for the doctors. They did agree to it but subsequently I am not aware whether they have been doing it,” said Lele.
IMA funds for COVID martyrs
Last year, the IMA started a dedicated fund to financially help the families of IMA members who died of COVID-19. As a rule, it excluded the families who have access to the government solatium and compensation as well as the doctors who were more than 70 years of age.
“I had started covid martyrs fund last year. We give ten lakh [one million] rupees to the deserving people not eligible for government aid. Last year, we had given money to eight, rest are being processed as when we receive requests,” informed Sharma, the former president of the IMA.
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