COVID-19 Second Wave Claims 329 Doctors In India, But The True Number Could Be Much Higher

The debilitating second wave of COVID-19 has so far claimed the lives of 329 doctors in India, the Indian Medical Association (IMA), a voluntary organization of doctors in the country, said Thursday.

The outbreak is so ferocious that 50 doctors died last Saturday alone, throwing light on the adverse conditions doctors expose themselves to every single day.

The actual numbers could be much higher, sources close to the organization told Hindustan Times. "We only put out numbers after thoroughly verifying the details. Health care workers are always at the forefront, hence, more prone to contracting the disease," Dr Rajan Sharma, former IMA president, told the newspaper.

The figures compiled by the IMA may not be completely representational since only about 350,000 of the 1.2 million doctors of the country have enrolled with the organization.

According to the IMA, over 1,000 doctors have died due to COVID-19 since the pandemic began, including the 736 doctors who died in the first wave. The second wave began to gain strength in India by early March and country recorded a sharp surge in April.

The state of Bihar, plagued by an ailing healthcare system, registered the most number of deaths at 90 (till Wednesday).

While there aren't enough doctors in the state, the existing ones are forced to work overtime to cope with the pandemic. Exhaustion due to continuous work and the general reluctance of many to adhere to COVID-19 protocol contribute to doctor deaths, according to The Times of India. India's capital city of Delhi too recorded a whopping 60 deaths (till Thursday) and the list is being revised every day.

Sadly, despite launching a vaccination drive five months ago, only 66 percent of India's healthcare workers have been fully vaccinated. Though IMA claims to be making all efforts to encourage doctors to take the jab, even the organization is unsure about how many of the deceased doctors were vaccinated.

"We are not confident of the vaccination status of all. But going by the data we get, not being fully vaccinated is the main cause behind the deaths. On average, we are losing 20 doctors per day. This includes all in government, private and medical colleges," IMA president Dr. J A Jayalal told NDTV.

In India's premier medical facility, the All-India Institute Of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, some of the doctors have not received even a single jab. While 200 resident doctors have not received their first vaccine dose yet, another 200 have not got their second dose.

"Vaccination of doctors should be the top priority. They should allow walk-ins for those who want their first dose. They are not allowing walk-ins for 18-44-year-olds. AIIMS has slots only for 45+ age group. Most of our resident doctors are in the 18-44 age group. Our resident doctors are unable to get online slots. We have got some verbal assurances but are yet to get a proper solution from AIIMS administration," NDTV quoted Dr Amandeep Singh, president of AIIMS Resident Doctors Association.