On Tuesday, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) declared the formation of a fund that is dedicated to its member doctors who died while on duty battling the COVID-19 pandemic. The association has planned to raise funds by donations from their members and the public that included the registered institutions also. The IMA association mentioned that the fund will be used as an ex-gratia to the legal heir of the deceased doctors with certain conditions.

The conditions for giving the fund include that the deceased doctor should be below 70 years of age, should be a life member of IMA on the date of death, their cause of death must be due to COVID-19 disease. They should be in active practice while acquiring COVID-19. They shouldn’t be eligible for any grant or compensation from the central or state governments.

The IMA has told IANS that almost 625 of their members have succumbed to the coronavirus disease while serving the nation for COVID-19.

The association informed that the legal beneficiary of the deceased member of IMA can apply for financial support. The legal heir should submit the application to the local branch secretary of IMA and it will get forwarded from the State Secretary of IMA to the Honorary Secretary General of IMA. The state secretary or local branch secretary or the Honorary Secretary General can then initiate the process.

IMA stated that it will have a flexible attitude for the set criteria for the eligibility of the martyrs fund. The IMA clarified that flexibility criteria is irrespective of membership and age for the modern medicine doctor who has been martyred in the service of the country during COVID-19. The National President of IMA will decide if the appeal from the family are genuine conditions for help.

The IMA also informed that a team comprising the president, president-elect, immediate past president, secretary-general, vice presidents as per jurisdiction and finance secretary will analyse the applications and then sanction money to the applicant. Though, the financial situation of the deceased doctor’s family would decide the quantum of monetary help. The sanctioned money will be given to the legal heir. If more than one legal heir is there then the money will be divided equally between them.

Source: The News Minute