Bhubaneswar: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) slammed the Centre for ‘abandonment of heroes’ after the Union health minister Dr Harshavadhan’s statement on coronavirus in Parliament, which had no word on the doctors who died in the line of duty. His junior minister had said that the Centre had no data as health is a state subject.
Accusing the Modi Government of ‘indifference’ and ‘abdication’, the country’s top body of medical practitioners said in such a circumstance, the government “loses the moral authority to administer the Epidemic Act 1897 and the Disaster Management Act”.
NDTV reported IMA’s stats which said that so far, 382 doctors have died of coronavirus. In the list it released, the youngest doctor to lose his life was 27 years old and the oldest was 85.
While the health minister had acknowledged the contribution of healthcare workers during the pandemic, the IMA pointed out that no mention was made of the medical professionals who succumbed.
“To feign that this information doesn’t merit the attention of the nation is abominable,” the IMA statement read. “It appears that they are dispensable. No nation has lost as many doctors and health care workers like India,” the statement added.
“This amounts to an abdication of duty and abandonment of the national heroes who have stood up for our people. IMA finds it strange that after having formulated an unfriendly partial insurance scheme for the bereaved families to struggle with the ignominy of the Government disowning them altogether stares at them,” NDTV reported as IMA’s statement.
Such a circumstance also exposes the “hypocrisy of calling them corona warriors on one hand and denying them and their families the status and benefits of martyrdom,” the IMA said.
On August 30, the IMA had tweeted and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to consider the plea of treating doctors who have acted as warriors in the war with COVID-19 and lost lives at par with the martyrs of Indian Armed Forces. It added that the surviving spouse or dependent should also be provided other Government benefits as deemed necessary.
#IMA requests Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri @narendramodi Ji to consider the plea of treating our #doctors who have acted as warriors in the war of #COVID19 and lost lives at par with the martyrs of Indian Armed Forces. pic.twitter.com/AjmGBTVnyE
— Indian Medical Association (@IMAIndiaOrg) August 30, 2020