Indian Medical Association, Maharashtra chapter has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, communicating displeasure over the state government’s decision to exclude private doctors from the list of 1st possible recipients of the COVID-19 vaccine. The IMA stated that this has created a rift in the medical fraternity. It has also demanded that 2.2 lakh private doctors should be a part of the frontline list of recipients and have asked the PM to intervene and halt this “injustice”.

Doctors who run clinics, X-ray-sonography clinics and pathology laboratories are also excluded apart from doctors of private hospitals. Pradeep Vyas, state health secretary did not answer calls or messages on this issue.

On 16th October, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had written to all states requesting to collect data of frontline healthcare workers to be given priority when the vaccine gets ready. The state health departments wrote to authorities concerned while following the orders. But, in Maharashtra, the health secretary apparently changed the guidelines of the Centre.

President of the IMA, Maharashtra, Dr Avinash Bhondwe, said that the words ‘registered with the district’ were presented in ‘point 8b’ in the letter. Dr Bhondwe alleged that in a following meeting with district collectors, the health secretary had directed that only doctors and medical staff from hospitals who were registered under the Bombay Nursing Home Act should be considered. He said that there are numerous private clinics that are not registered with any government body but are allowed to operate with doctors having appropriate medical qualification.

He further said that there are one lakh allopathic doctors who are registered with the Maharashtra Medical Association and almost 1.2 lakh AYUSH doctors registered in the state. Also, there are 25,000 private hospitals registered with the district authorities. Subsequently, approximately two lakh doctors are kept outside the vaccination priority.

In the letter written to the PM, the IMA, Maharashtra has called it “discrimination”. The letter reads that along with government doctors, private medical professionals have played an important role in the treatment of patients in the coronavirus epidemic. Out of the 61 doctors died due toCOVID-19 in the state, the number of private clinic owners and general practitioners was higher. Yet, they are left out for the reason known only to the government. The Maharashtra Government had earlier rejected the applications of these 61 private doctors regarding the Corona Kavach, the subsequent insurance of Rs 50 lakh that was declared by the Centre.

Source: ET Healthworld