IMA suggests reducing the working hours of the doctors and giving them provision for their mental health care

India – The covid-19 infection continues to surge across the world. Several countries are imposing stricter curbs to control the situation. In the wake of a new variant of Covid-19, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) suggested that the Indian government should limit the duty hours of doctors.

The IMA suggested limiting the working hours to eight hours so that the doctors can take care of their mental and physical health. Mental health is an integral part of health. The health care workers are already facing many hardships in their healthcare giving processes because of the pandemic. It affects their mental health. The novel coronavirus outbreak threatens to increase work-related stress among Health care workers. It further amplifies their psychological suffering.

Reportedly, the Covid-19 pandemic caused anxiety among medical professionals and healthcare workers because of the shortage of doctors. During the covid-19 pandemic, with the rise in infection and new variants, mental health problems have increased.

Doctors being infected by Omicron

Reports of doctors and healthcare workers being infected by the highly transmissible Omicron variant of Covid-19 have started emerging across the country. The IMA further suggested that ill doctors should be admitted to the government hospital at the earliest. The association also demanded compensation for the doctors who died due to Covid-19. The association said that around 2000 doctors died during the second wave of Covid-19.

As per the report by NDTV, Omicron is becoming a dominant strain in major cities of India. Reportedly, Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata have a combined 75 per cent share of infections driven by the Omicron variant.

The medical association also mentioned that the mortality rate is expected to be low in the third wave. The association also pointed out that the Omicron is deadlier than the delta variant of Covid-19. The doctors might get more Covid-19 infections than the general public.