On Sunday, the Indian Medical Association had asked for comprehensive national solatium for doctors and their families. They have urged the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to accept the casualties among doctors as they are the front-line warriors during the coronavirus pandemic.

The IMA, quoting government data, said that 87,000 healthcare workers across the country have been infected by the coronavirus and 573 deaths had happened due to the coronavirus infection. IMA had written a letter, stating that the records had already raised concerns throughout the country. IMA’s data for doctors has registered 307 deaths as of today and a total number of 2,006 infected with COVID-19. 188 doctors who died are General Practitioners and are the first point of contact for people.It stated that all those doctors who had laid their lives in fighting against this epidemic must be treated at par with the martyrs of Indian Armed Forces and recognized appropriately.

The authorities at IMA have highlighted that doctors are suffering a viral load and high Case Fatality Rate (CFR). It also added that the surviving spouse or dependent must be offered a Government job according to their qualifications.

The letter comes to the prime minister nearly five months after the government announced a special insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh for doctors, nurses, technicians, paramedics and other health care professionals who are involved in taking care of COVID-19 patients. Approximately 2.2 million healthcare workers are expected to be covered under this scheme.

In March this year, the finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, had said that the government wants to attend first to the front-line warriors as they are at risk, while dealing with coronavirus patients and will provide an insurance cover for them. In the 3 months, they have been exposed to coronavirus and hopefully, this will be contained soon. They will provide ₹50 lakhs to each healthcare person as medical insurance cover in case they want it.

Source: Hindustan Times