On Monday, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) released details that almost 34 doctors have died in the country in April till now due to COVID-19 as the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic has swept India.

The youngest doctor who had succumbed to the coronavirus infection was only 28 years old, a resident doctor from Maharashtra and two other doctors were in their 30s. Many doctors who lost their lives in the second wave were aged 50-70 years however there is a significant number of doctors in the age group of 40–49-years.

The highest number of deaths in doctors were 5 each were reported from Bihar and Maharashtra whereas 4 doctors died in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh each. Ravi Wankhedkar, a senior member of the association said that they are trying to establish the COVID vaccination status of each doctor who has died after contracting COVID-19.

The coronavirus immunization drive was started in the country on 16th January and was opened first for healthcare workers and the Centre had said that more than 80% of healthcare workers had received at least the first shots out of the two-shot immunization schedule.

More than 730 doctors across India had succumbed to the coronavirus disease in the country last year, according to the IMA data but the Union government had maintained that it has not tracked the exact numbers.

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that under a Rs 50 lakh insurance scheme which is a part of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana for healthcare workers died due to the coronavirus infection, only 287 claims were settled a week back. Out of these 287 claims, families of approximately 162 doctors were benefited from this scheme.

Even though the government said that the rate of breakthrough infections is minuscule after vaccinations as seen in India, IMA authorities said that details related to vaccination status of the doctors who died due to COVID-19 will give a clear picture on these shots’ efficacy against severe infection and death in the real world.

Source: The New Indian Express