3 paediatricians die in a day of Covid-19 in Maharashtra

3 paediatricians die in a day of Covid-19 in Maharashtra

Rapid Health Deterioration A Common Factor

Chaitanya.Deshpande@timesgroup.com

Nagpur:30.08.3030

Three paediatricians from Akola, Buldhana and Bhusawal, who were treating Covid-19 patients at different places, died of coronavirus infection on Friday. Very rapid deterioration of health was the common factor in all the three deaths.

As per central government data, 292 health care workers have died in Maharashtra. According to state figures, 26 government doctors have died due to Covid-19 in Maharashtra till date. According to Indian Medical Association (Maharashtra), more than 90 private practitioners have died of Covid-19 in Maharashtra.

In Vidarbha region, 3 doctors in government service have died of Covid-19. More than 10 private practitioners have died in region due to the virus, according to the IMA.

Dr Vivek Phadke, 55, who died on Friday was the chief medical officer of the Covid care centre in Murtizapur in Akola district since the last five months. He died within 44 hours of admission. The other two were private practitioners.

Dr Phadke got himself admitted to Akola GMCH on August 26 after he developed Covid symptoms. “He was otherwise fit but had some lifestyle-based comorbidities like diabetes. His condition was very good when he got himself admitted. But his health deteriorated suddenly,” said Dr Ranjeet Deshmukh, his long-time companion, from Neighbouring Buldhana district witnessed a death of young private practitioner Dr Gopal Kshirsagar, 37, who used to run a hospital in Janefal town of Mehkar tehsil. Dr Kshirsagar got admitted in a private hospital in Aurangabad on August 5.

Senior paediatrician from Bhusawal, Dr Umesh Manohar Khanapurkar, died on the same day in Mumbai. He was known as ‘garibanche doctor’ (doctor of poor people) in Bhusawal. Family members of Dr Khanapurkar are also reputed doctors in the region. Dr Khanapurkar tested positive on August 11 and was admitted to a private hospital in Mumbai. Dr Deshmukh said that Dr Phadke was one of the “finest in government setup”. “He worked with dedication and never got into private practice. After working for more than a decade in Akola, he was working in Murtizapur for the last several years,” he said.

“He was doing well during initial days of treatment. But his condition suddenly deteriorated,” he added. Dr Khanapurkar, practising since 1988, is credited to have saved hundreds of critically ill babies. “He was providing health services to the poor during lockdown,” said Dr Ashutosh Kelkar from Bhusawal.

Dr Ravi Wankhedkar, treasurer of World Medical Association, said that doctors dying due to Covid is a serious cause of concern. “Over-bureaucratization of Covid-19 crisis and non-involvement of health experts in decision-making has worsened the situation,” he said. He added that health care workers need more protection.

Unnao MP Sakshi Maharaj stopped, quarantined in J’khand

Bokaro:

BJP’s Unnao MP Sakshi Maharaj was stopped by Jharkhand police en route to Dhanbad on Saturday for allegedly violating Covid-19 protocol and put in 14-day institutional quarantine in Giridih. Sakshi Maharaj had arrived early in the morning and spent two hours with his ailing 97-year-old mother.

While the MP accused the JMM-Congress-RJD government of forcibly quarantining him, Giridih DC Rahul Kumar Sinha said there was nothing political about the decision. TNN