September 17, 2020: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has criticized the Union government for not maintaining the statistics of doctors who have sacrificed their lives while treating the patients of COVID-19.

The IMA said this in response against the statement made in Parliament by Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, who acknowledged the contribution of healthcare workers during this pandemic, but the statistics of healthcare workers who died due to COVID-19 were missing from the 19th paragraph of the statement on September 14.

According to the IMA, the government concealed the morbidity and mortality of doctors, nurses and healthcare workers during COVID-19 management.

However, the data prepared by the IMA shows, at least 382 doctors have died in the pandemic due to Covid-19.

IMA also commends to the Central government that they seek such data from the representatives of nurses and other healthcare workers.

"If the Government doesn't maintain the statistics of total number of doctors and healthcare workers infected by Covid-19 and the statistics of how many of them sacrificed their life due to the pandemic, it loses the moral authority to administer the Epidemic Act 1897 and the Disaster Management Act," Dr Rajan Sharma, National President of IMA said.

Minister for State (Health) Ashwini Kumar Choubey in the Parliament said that public health and hospitals come under states and so the insurance compensation data is not available with the union government.

Reacting to the statement made by Choubey, Dr Sharma said, "This amounts to 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."

While IMA has demanded that healthcare workers who have died during COVID-19 duty should be acknowledged and treated as "martyrs' and their families, children deserve solace and solatium from the national government.

IMA has shared various suggestions and feedback to the health ministry during this national health emergency and seeks to meet the Prime Minister to share the concerns and cooperation.