In a great loss for the country, nearly 1,400 doctors have died in the first and second wave of Covid-19. While 646 doctors have died so far due to Covid-19 in 2021, with maximum fatalities being in Delhi, as many as 748 doctors across India died in 2020, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) said on Saturday.
The State-wise data revealed by the IMA shows that every second doctor who died in the second Covid-19 wave was either in Delhi or Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Delhi saw the maximum number of 109 deaths, followed by Bihar at 97, Uttar Pradesh with 79, Rajasthan 43, Jharkhand 39, Gujarat 37, Andhra Pradesh 35, Telangana 34, West Bengal 30, Maharashtra 23, Madhya Pradesh 16 deaths, Assam 8, Karnataka 6, according to data till June 5 compiled at the IMA’s Covid-19 registry.
The least number of deaths was recorded in Puducherry, with only one doctor in the southern Union territory losing his life. Two deaths each were recorded in Tripura, Goa and Uttarakhand, three each in Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana and Punjab, whereas, five doctors lost their lives in Kerala, Manipur and Chhattisgarh, the IMA said.
The IMA said that 748 doctors had died of coronavirus across the country in the first wave of the pandemic in 2020. Over 201 doctors who died were in the age group of 60-70 years, the IMA said, followed by 171 in the 50-60 age group. The data also showed that 66 doctors who died were over the age of 70.
However, because the IMA is a voluntary organisation of doctors, it is probable that the actual number of fatalities significantly exceeds these figures. Since the association only keeps track of its 3.5 lakh members out of the country’s over 12 lakh doctors.
The second wave of pandemic had stretched healthcare system in the country, with shortage of oxygen, medicines and hospital beds reported from across the country. The daily case count had crossed the 4 lakh-mark in first week of May.
The IMA recently expressed its concerns on acts of violence against doctors, healthcare workers, and healthcare facilities. IMA also requested Union Home Minister Amit Shah to take immediate action on its request and enact an effective and powerful law against healthcare violence to protect the country’s healthcare personnel.
In the meantime, the new Covid cases have decreased since then, with the country reporting 1,20,529 fresh COVID-19 cases, the lowest single-day rise in infections in around two months, on Saturday.
The death toll from COVID-19 climbed to 3,44,082 with 3,380 new fatalities, while the number of active cases was recorded below 20 lakh for the fifth consecutive day.