Over 500 Doctors Die of COVID-19 In Second Wave: IMA

At least 594 doctors have succumbed to COVID-19 in the second wave in the country so far, with Delhi accounting for 107 such deaths, said the Indian Medical Association on Tuesday.

State-wise data put out by IMA shows that nearly every second doctor who died in the second Covid-19 wave died either in Delhi, Bihar or Uttar Pradesh. These three states together account for nearly 45 per cent of the doctors who died in the second wave.

Overall, the IMA said nearly 1,300 doctors have died on the line of duty fighting Covid-19 ever since the pandemic began last year, reported India Today.

Meanwhile, hitting out Baba Ramdev, the IMA in a strongly-worded open letter to citizens said he has "irreparably" damaged the government's efforts to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. It said Baba Ramdev has created confusion among people about the Covid-19 protocol and vaccines, and termed it an "anti-national" action.

He has "irreparably damaged the Indian government's efforts to contain the pandemic", the IMA said in the letter signed by the body's current president and 14 former presidents.

"People creating confusion during an epidemic regarding national treatment protocols and the national vaccination programme are traitors and anti-nationals. They are anti-people and anti-humanity. They deserve no mercy," it said.

The doctors' body reiterated its demand of prosecuting Baba Ramdev for sedition and under the Disaster Management Act.

"His calling modern medicine a stupid science is a totally different criminal act. Inaction from the government would seriously hurt the doctors who are fighting the pandemic," the IMA said in the open letter.

Alleging that Baba Ramdev's supporters have attempted "diversionary tactics of malicious attacks" on the IMA and its national president, the doctors' body said nothing will deviate it from its resolve to nail "this anti-national".

The IMA's activities are within the four corners of the law, it said. "The total number of Covid-19 patients in the country so far is 2.78 crores and 2.54 crores have recovered. Our case fatality rate remains 1.16 percent. Even with the limitations of official statistics, it can be seen that Indian doctors, nurses, and health care workers have fought tirelessly," it said.

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