269 doctors lost their lives in second wave of COVID-19, says IMA

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has said India has lost 269 doctors in the second wave of Covid-19 over the past two months.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has said India has lost 269 doctors in the second wave of Covid-19 that ravaged the country over the past two months.

State-wise data revealed by IMA show states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have suffered the highest casualty among doctors. In Bihar, 78 doctors have died while in Uttar Pradesh, 37 have died in the second wave. Delhi, which was severely affected by the second wave, has seen 28 doctors die due to Covid-19.

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India also lost another 748 doctors in the first wave of Covid-19 last year. While the IMA says that a thousand doctors have died due to Covid so far, the actual numbers may be higher as the doctors’ association only keeps a record of its 3.5 lakh members. India has more than 12 lakh doctors.

So far, only 66% of India’s total healthcare worker population has been fully vaccinated. On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the vaccines have ensured the safety of most of the doctors as 90% of health professionals have already taken the first dose.

In an interaction with a group of doctors via video-conferencing, PM Modi said be it testing, supply of medicines or setting up new infrastructure in “record time”, all these are being done at a fast pace. Noting that a large number of patients are undergoing treatment in home isolation, PM Modi also asked doctors to ensure that the home-based care of every patient is SOP driven.