Bihar IMA forms panel to probe doctors’ death; toll reaches 96

Stung by the death of over 96 doctors in Bihar in the current wave of Covid-19, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Bihar Branch has constituted an eight-member committee under the chairmanship of Dr Sahjanand Prasad Singh, IMA India (president-elect) to investigate reasons behind such a large number of casualty of doctors in the state

Stung by the death of over 96 doctors in Bihar in the current wave of Covid-19, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Bihar Branch has constituted an eight-member committee under the chairmanship of Dr Sahjanand Prasad Singh, IMA India (president-elect) to investigate reasons behind such a large number of casualty of doctors in the state.

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The IMA president said that more than 329 doctors have succumbed so far during the second Covid-19 wave and 96 out of these casualties have been reported from Bihar, which now has the highest number of doctor deaths during the second wave. “During the first wave of Covid-19 last year, 30 doctors had lost their lives in Bihar,” said Dr Singh.

According to the news agency ANI’s report, the IMA said that over 400 doctors across the country have succumbed to the Covid-19 infection during the second wave of the pandemic.

On May 18, the IMA had said 269 doctors had lost their lives during the Covid-19 second wave over the past two months. During the first wave in 2020, India had lost 748 doctors. With the updated toll shared by the IMA today, India has now lost over 1,000 doctors due to Covid-19.

Of the 96 deaths reported in Bihar, 38 had taken place in Patna alone with 14 deaths reported from Muzaffarpur, as per a list released by the IMA, Bihar chapter. Five deaths have been reported in Bhagalpur and three each at Gaya and Siwan.

“Doctors in Bihar have been working continuously. The committee has been formed to find out the reasons for death as doctors even in non-Covid hospitals and clinics have been treating patients. In many cases proper distancing with patients could not be maintained,” said Dr Singh, IMA national president (elect).

The IMA president blamed the lack of proper care and facilities for doctors for such a high number of casualties. “In all government or private hospitals, no beds have been reserved for doctors’ treatment. Doctors died for want of beds and ventilators,” alleged Dr Singh. “At least two beds could have been reserved for our fraternity members and the mortality would have been much less. After all, we are also working for the public and their welfare,” he added.

Dr Singh was also critical of oxygen supply and said that the state capital has more than 200 hospitals (both government and private) but only 90 got oxygen supply during the crisis. “More than 100 did not get supply but still kept treating patients by managing oxygen in the name of humanity,” he said.

The IMA has demanded that doctors should be properly treated even in private hospitals and beds should be earmarked for them. “We demand that those doctors who died due to Covid should be given ₹50 lakh compensation amount by the respective state governments,” Dr Singh demanded and informed that IMA has decided to give ₹10 lakh each from its side to families of poor doctors. “In Bihar, we are going to give ₹10 lakh to the family of three poor doctors and this will be done in other states as well,” Dr Singh said