New Delhi:The Union Ministry of Health and Family on Tuesday came on record that 155 health workers including 64 doctors have died in India due to COVID-19 pandemic.
The Ministry has received insurance claim of deceased health workers from different states across the nation.
Uttar Pradesh bears the maximum casualty of 8 doctors, followed by Maharastra 6 and Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu 5 each.
"Health being a state subject, databases containing state-wise casualties is not being maintained by the Centre. However, the database of those seeking relief under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Insurance Package is maintained at the national level," said Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Chaubey.
The Health Ministry has received insurance claim from 26 states and union territories following casualties of doctors, multi-purpose health workers (ANM 32), ASHA (14), and others (45).
The Central government has earlier announced Rs 50 lakh insurance scheme for health workers fighting COVID-19.
However, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) in its report earlier has stated that around 100 doctors have died due to COVID-19.
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Chaubey informed that the package of Rs 15,000 crores (USD 2 Billion) under "India COVID-19 emergency response and health system preparedness package" was approved by the Cabinet in April.
"The funds and commodities are allocated to the States under various components including emergency COVID-19 response. The states were supported with 9.81 crore tablets of Hydroxy-chloroquine and 28,476 ventilators supplied to states and UTs," said Chaubey.
Chaubey informed that the globally accepted score to gauge nation's capacity to prevent, detect and respond to public health emergencies is mandated by International Health Regulations (IHR) and the scores reported by the WHO through the state party annual reporting tool, wherein India's all capacities average score is more than 78 per cent (global average 64 per cent).
He said that 13 clinical trials of repurposed drugs and harnessing of traditional knowledge using the modern medicine approach are building a portfolio of therapeutic options for COVID-19 patients.
"Phase II clinical trial of immunomodulator Sepsivac with Cadila on critically ill COVID-19 patients have been completed successfully and the phase III trial will be initiated after regulatory approval. Phase II clinical trial of the first-ever phytopharmaceutical ACQH with Sun Pharma is underway," said Chaubey.
He further said that one prophylactic trial of Ashwagandha and three trials of Guduchi and Pippali, Yashtimadhu, and polyherbal AYUSH drug (AYUSH 64) are planned on moderately ill COVID-19 patients.
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