As many 270 doctors have succumbed to Covid-19 infection in the second wave of the pandemic so far. Former IMA president and Padma awardee Dr K K Aggarwal also passed away on Monday due to covid-related complications. Last year, 736 doctors had lost their lives during the first wave. A total of nearly 1,000 doctors across India have lost their lives due to Covid so far.
Dr Anas Mujahid, a 26-year-old junior resident doctor at Delhi’s Guru Teg Bahadur Hospita, was the youngest to havel succumbed to the virus earlier this month. Speaking with news agency PTI, his colleague Aamir Sohail said, “We had gone to Mujahid’s home for Iftar. When we were on our way back to the hotel where we were staying (for isolation purposes as they were on regular hospital duty), Mujahid said he was feeling feverish. The hospital was on our way, so we decided to visit the hospital for getting a COVID test done.”
The 26-year old doctor tested positive via the rapid antigen test (RAT) and suddenly collapsed while the doctor was writing the prescription. Following this, Mujahid was immediately shifted to the casualty emergency and a CT scan was done which showed clotting in his brain and he was put on a ventilator. Despite all the efforts, Mujahid could not be saved, said Sohail.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Tuesday said 270 doctors across the country have succumbed to the coronavirus infection in the second wave of the pandemic so far. The list of the deceased doctors includes former IMA president Dr K K Aggarwal, who succumbed to the deadly virus on Monday. The IMA stated that only 3 per cent of these doctors received vaccination, adding that only 66 per cent of India’s doctors have been fully vaccinated five months into the nationwide vaccination programme.
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Bihar saw the maximum number of 78 deaths of medical practitioners, followed by Uttar Pradesh (37), Delhi (29) and Andhra Pradesh (22). According to the IMA COVID-19 registry, 748 doctors succumbed to the disease in the first wave of the pandemic.
“Last year, 748 doctors across India succumbed to COVID-19, while in the current wave, in a short period, we have lost 270 doctors. “The second wave of the pandemic is turning out to be extremely fatal for all and especially for the healthcare workers who are at the forefront,” IMA president Dr JA Jayalal said.
