IMA lobbies PM for relief to doctors who die of COVID-19

Hyderabad: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has written to prime minister Narendra Modi demanding that doctors who die in the line of duty fighting the COVID-19 pandemic must be treated on par with soldiers who lay down their lives for the nation.

The medical lobby said children of such doctors or their surviving spouse should be given a government job befitting their qualifications.

The IMA also said an inclusive national solatium should be given to all doctors who have laid down their lives during the pandemic and a dedicated administration must be set up to govern the relief.

"The solatium that is in place has failed to reach the unfortunate beneficiaries due to the inadequacy of the chosen instrument and indifference. The scheme is reported to have lapsed as well," the letter said.

The doctors' lobby said "87000 healthcare workers have been infected and 573 of them have lost their lives to Covid-19. The IMA data for doctors alone has registered 307 deaths including 188 general practitioners who are the first point of contact. Doctors suffer a higher viral load and a higher case fatality rate (CFR) as a community."

The IMA said there is need for a radical plan for deployment of healthcare staff. "Deploying for long hours in Covid without intermittent quarantine periods is not safe," the letter said. They appealed to the PM to bring in appropriate reforms to support medical and healthcare staff across the country.