New Delhi [India], Mar 17 : Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) has urged Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan to provide an adequate number of masks and other Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to ensure the protection of doctors from the risk of coronavirus infections.
In a letter to Dr Vardhan on Tuesday, the FORDA, an association created for the welfare of resident doctors all over India, has also highlighted that doctors in the country are not covered by any health insurance scheme.
"Doctors are at the frontline and the first point of contact in emergency response. The medical fraternity stands in full support of the national effort to control the COVID-19 pandemic. However, sadly the frontline warriors are ill-equipped in this battle and are at very high risk of contracting the infection and de, eloping the disease which has no cure or vaccine so far."
"We would hereby like to request you to ensure the protection of doctors working in healthcare institutions in this on-going COVID-19 pandemic by making arrangements for health insurance cover and to provide an adequate number of masks and other PPE on an urgent basis," added the FORDA in the letter.
The number of novel coronavirus cases in India rose to 126 on Tuesday, the Union Health Ministry has said.
The country's highest tally of 36 cases is from Maharashtra, which includes three foreign nationals.
( With inputs from ANI )