COVID-19: Over 160 Doctors Died Due to Virus in Country, Says Govt

New Delhi: COVID-19 has so far claimed the lives of 162 doctors, 107 nurses and 44 ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activists) workers in the country, Rajya Sabha was told on Tuesday.

The figures are based on the intimations received from the states till January 22.

This was stated by Minister of State for Health Ashwini Kumar Choubey in the House in response to a question on the number of healthcare staff, including doctors, nurses and ASHA workers who have been affected died due to COVID-19.

On whether the data presented by the Indian Medical Association regarding the number of healthcare workers who have died due to COVID-19 has been taken note of by the Ministry and any follow-up verification of the same done, Choubey said the process of insurance disbursement has been de-centralised under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP: Insurance Scheme).

Accordingly, the verification of a person affected and died to COVID-19 vests with state governments/Central government authorities concerned. 

The necessary certification for claims is done by healthcare Institution, organisation or office where the deceased was an employee of/engaged by the institution. 

They submit the documents to the competent authority for state and UT, or the competent authority for Central Government, Central Autonomous /PSU hospitals, AIIMS, INIs and hospitals of other central ministries, as the case may be. 

The competent authorities then forward and submit claim to the insurance company.

‘92.6 Lakh Healthcare Workers to be Vaccinated’

The government aims to inoculate over 92.6 lakh healthcare workers employed in Central, state and private facilities through its COVID-19 vaccination drive launched on January 16, Rajya Sabha was informed.

All states and Union Territories have been provided with COVID-19 vaccines, Minister Choubey said in a written reply to a question raised in the Upper House.

"The 92,61,227 healthcare workers (excluding 200 null) who will be vaccinated against COVID-19 include 4,38,990 from Andhra Pradesh, 2,10,359 from Assam,  4,68,790 from Bihar, 2,78,343 from Delhi, 5,16,425 from Gujarat, 7,73,362 from Karnataka, 4,07,016 from Kerala, 4,29,981 from Madhya Pradesh, 9,36,857 from Maharashtra, 5,24,218 from Rajasthan, 5,32,605 from Tamil Nadu, 9,06,752 from Uttar Pradesh and 7,00,418 from West Bengal.

No Blood Banks in 63 Districts of Country

Sixty-three districts in the country are without blood banks, as per reports received till September 2020, Rajya Sabha was informed.

Responding to a question on whether the government has taken any steps or will take steps to ensure that all districts in the country have at least one blood bank, Choubey said in a written reply that public health, being a state subject, it is the primary responsibility of state governments to ensure the establishment of blood banks as per their need. 

The 63 districts include 14 from Arunachal Pradesh, five each from Assam and Bihar, 12 from Manipur, seven from Meghalaya, and nine from Nagaland. 

The National Blood Transfusion Council, MOHFW has formulated the blood bank policy according to which there should be at least one blood bank per district, Choubey said.

There are 3,321 licensed blood banks in the country which collected 1.27 crore blood units in 2019-20. 

On whether there have been reports of shortage of blood in those banks currently functional in the country, Choubey said, "No such instances have been reported regarding shortage of blood supply."