In India, 32 doctors have lost their lives so far in the battle against COVID-19. Most of them were catering to the needs of patients during the pandemic.

The reins of the battle against COVID-19 are in the hands of healthcare workers, who have been working tirelessly over the last three months. In India, 32 doctors have lost their lives on June 16, 2020, in the line of duty. Maharashtra, reporting seven deaths, is among the worst hit.

On April 9, 2020, Dr. Shatrughan Punjwani, a 62-year-old general physician from Indore, Madhya Pradesh, was the first Indian doctor to succumb to COVID-19. Within 48 hours, an Indore-based private AYUSH practitioner Omprakash Chauhan, 65, became the second victim from the healthcare fraternity. So far, Madhya Pradesh has reported the death of six doctors.

According to officials at the Indian Medical Association, Tamil Nadu, at least three doctors – namely, Dr. Simon Hercules, Dr. Vinod Raja, and Dr. R Balasubramanian – have succumbed to the infection in the state. Gujarat and Delhi have also reported three doctor deaths each.

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Pandemic duty

A majority of the Indian doctors who lost their lives due to COVID-19 had their own private practice and were catering to the needs of patients during the pandemic. Of these 32 doctors, six were general physicians and six surgeons, who got infected while treating their patients.

Incidentally, 19 doctors were in the 55-85 years age group, making them more susceptible to the deadly virus. Some of the deaths were attributed to co-morbidities. Like in the case of Dr. Sunil Agarwal, 58-year-old anesthetist and UP’s first COVID-19 patient to get plasma therapy. He eventually died due to kidney failure.

Prof J N Pande, former HOD of Medicine at AIIMS, New Delhi, died of cardiac arrest while he was under home quarantine. Similarly, another retired doctor from Srinagar, who had tested positive for COVID-19, passed away due to cardiac arrest.

There have been disheartening reports of social stigma and protests against the cremation of the doctors who lost their lives – for fear of the spread of the disease. As our healthcare heroes continue to spread themselves thin to win this global battle, the least we can do is show our gratitude.

Author

Bhargavi Saikia

Bhargavi works as a Data Analyst at HealthLEADS, specialising in data cleaning, analysis and visualisation. With a keen eye for patterns and a penchant for clarity, Bhargavi brings data to life, bridging the gap between raw data and storytelling.
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