Derogatory comments on doctors: IMA, Bengal asks Lav Agarwal to apologise

New Delhi: Taking a serious note of the 'irresponsible' statement made by joint secretary Lav Agarwal on the issue of doctors getting infected to COVID-19, West Bengal chapter of Indian Medical Association (IMA) has condemned Union Health Ministry's official Agarwal for making such a derogatory comment on doctors and health professionals who have been working from the front for the safety of mankind.

In a letter addressed to Lav Agarwal and a copy of which has been sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, Dr Santanu Sen, who is a Rajya Sabha MP, said, "On behalf of the medical fraternity, I strongly condemn your statement."

"As a member of Parliament and the member of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health, I suggest you withdraw your statement publically and apologise for such derogatory comments," he said in the letter.

However, Dr Sen, the immediate past national president of IMA, also warned Agarwal that the medical fraternity would never forgive him and they might take legal action.

Dr Sen, who is also the state secretary of IMA, Bengal, reminded Agarwal about the "thali bajao" call given by the Prime Minister to thank doctors for their dedicated services, sometimes at the cost of their lives.

"The doctors are taking all the risk and they are getting infected too as the government at the Centre is unable to provide adequate protective gears to healthcare workers. Besides, the Centre has not even provided a sufficient number of testing kits to detect COVID-19 even after so many days in hand after the first case was reported on January 30," he said.

Dr Sen further said, "Your deplorable comment sitting in air-conditioned glass-room, unlike doctors who are in the war field, will not only demoralise the entire fraternity, but it will also jeopardise the endeavour of united efforts to fight COVID-19."

Notably, in response to a question, Agarwal had on Tuesday said that if health professionals do not take precautions they will get infected and some health professionals have been infected in parties, while some during patient care.