India is giving a strong fight against COVID- 19: IMA

In an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat, Indian Medical Association (IMA) president Dr. Rajan Sharma said that the timely action taken by the government has restricted the pandemic to certain areas of the country. He also said that the recovery rate is increasing and the fatality rate is the lowest in comparison to other countries.

New Delhi: Even as COVID-19 pandemic has brought many developed countries on their knees, India is in a far better position, says Indian Medical Association (IMA) president Dr Rajan Sharma.

Speaking to ETV Bharat in an exclusive interview, Dr Sharma said that proactive decision taken by the government has demarcated and restricted the pandemic to certain areas of the country.

"Let us be very frank. This pandemic has affected the entire world. It had to come to India too. And the nationwide lockdown has also played its positive role in India's fight against COVID-19," said Dr Sharma.

If we look into India's population, the total COVID-19 cases is still under control.

"The recovery rate is increasing and the fatality rate is the lowest in comparison to other countries," the IMA president said.

Referring to the spike in cases in states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Dr Sharma credited such spike to "urban nightmare."

"Today Health care is at the forefront of all agenda. Everyone now understand the importance of public healthcare. So, the onus is on every individual also," he said.

With more than 745 branches, IMA is extending its support in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

Referring to the plight of migrant labourers, Dr Sharma said, "IMA is in solidarity with the plight of migrants...but the situation demands so (lockdown)."

He further appealed that doctors should be given a free environment to provide their service.

"India has always faced such challenges. We should not panic. There should not be a stigma for healthcare professionals. Let us practice without fear," he said.

As per World Health Organisation (WHO) report, India has recorded the lowest COVID-19 related death rate per lakh population, lowest as compared to other nations.

India recorded about 0.2 deaths per lakh population compared to approximately 4.1 deaths per lakh population for the world.

Health Ministry statistics said that during the last 24 hours, a total of 2350 COVID-19 patients have been cured.

"So far, 39174 patients have been cured taking the recovery rate to 38.73 per cent," the Health Ministry said.

As on Tuesday, there are 58,802 active cases in India.

A record number of 1,08,233 samples were tested on Monday. So far, a total of 24,25,742 samples have been tested from its 543 laboratories.

The World Health Organisation (WHO), meanwhile on Tuesday, agreed to an independent probe into the United Nation agency's coronavirus response as US mount pressure over its handling of the pandemic.