GHAZIABAD: Indian Medical Association (national headquarters) has criticised the government’s decision to give compensation of Rs 50 lakh to only those private doctors who died due to Covid in designated hospitals.
They said it is discriminatory in nature and of 1,700 doctors whose list they provided to the government, only 180 got the compensation so far.
IMA national president Dr JA Jayalal and national secretary Dr Jayesh M Lele, who had come to Ghaziabad to review the functioning of the local branch, said they would fight the matter in the Supreme Court. Dr Lele said, “Till December 2020, 780 doctors had died but the government did not have the list. In February, a question was raised in Parliament regarding this but the government said it was not aware. It came to IMA to get the list. Subsequently, in the second wave, another 700 doctors lost their lives.”
Dr Jayalal added that many hospitals became dedicated Covid facilities only on the government’s instructions. “At least they should be recognised as Covid martyrs,” he said.
It is one thing that the government should provide financial assistance to the families of those doctors, but at least the government should recognise that they died due to Covid, he added. The officials said they will take up the matter related to hospital registration with the UP government. They expressed surprise over licences being issued for one year to private clinics in Ghaziabad. Dr Jayalal said it was news for him. “Private hospitals are given licences for five years in other states. The National IMA will hold talks with the UP government regarding this,” he added.
