18th Sep 2020 11:09:PM Editorials
Eastern Sentinel Arunachal News

Despite the fact that there will be an overwhelming national unanimity over choosing the frontline workers comprising doctors, nurses and all others down the line as the ‘most trusted friends’ during the current critical time of Covid-19 pandemic, the fact that no data regarding their deaths and infections has been officially maintained by the Union Health Ministry will surely raise eyebrows and invite incomprehension. During the Parliament’s ongoing monsoon session it came to light that Health Ministry has not kept an official data neither regarding deaths nor of infections of the healthcare workers and only maintains a record of insurance claims received from their families after deaths. It’s not unexpected that Indian Medical Association (IMA), the country’s largest body of medical practitioners has accused the Centre of “hypocrisy” for describing healthcare workers as “warriors” and not even caring to keep their death and infection counts. While it will not be possible to share records at the moment whether such a thing has happened or is happening anywhere in the world plagued with the menace of coronavirus, it can be said it’s unique and perhaps possible only in India.

In the whole story of the battle against Covid that has unfolded so far in the country, the frontline fighters are no doubt the principal characters and as per IMA, 382 doctors had as of now sacrificed their lives. Braving their lives, they have jumped in the battle field and but for them, it would have been a lost case much earlier. Even if a cursory glance is given over the life they are leading now, gratitude will overflow instantaneously. Giving long hours of duty at a stretch confronting the ever-growing number of patients with restricted medical attainment facilities, these fighters have also to face hardships of a different kind-social stigmatisation. A series of reports coming from length and breadth of the country will tell how much nightmarish the days had been particularly during the initial months. Under such circumstances, as a parent body of doctors, IMA’s ire is natural and the letter which reads as: “If the government doesn’t maintain the statistics of the number of doctors and healthcare workers infected by Covid-19 and how many sacrificed their lives… it loses the moral authority to administer the Epidemic Act and the Disaster Management Act,” can’t be held unjustified by any means. When a person is hailed as ‘warrior’, his or her death ought to be recognised as ‘martyrdom’, it’s been the norm of any civil society.

Unfortunately, it’s the case in the country and will the doctors have to stage dharnas now leaving Covid duties to ‘extract’ this legitimate acknowledgement? The question needs a nation-wide deliberation.


Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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