The Maharashtra government on Wednesday issued a notification making it mandatory for private doctors in Mumbai to report to hospitals for treatment of coronavirus patients.
The administration has asked private doctors who are below 55 yrs of age and not having any comorbidity to report with immediate effect to COVID-19 dedicated hospitals for treatment of patients. The doctors have been asked to work for 15 days to provide treatment to the patients who have contracted the virus. Failure to report to the hospital will lead to their medical license being revoked.
The government has invoked the Epidemic Diseases Act, Disaster Management Act, and Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act to issue the above-mentioned order.
However, the government took cognisance of the doctors who may be in the high-risk category of contracting the virus. It has therefore given an exemption to those private doctors who are 55 years and above and have comorbidities.
All the doctors are required to submit a form in which they have to fill in details proving their eligibility, Maharashtra Medical Council registration number, current working place, and place for posting. The doctors have to submit the e-mailed forms to the BMC's Protocol Officer.
There are more than twenty-five thousand registered private doctors in Mumbai.
“We've asked all private doctors, who are below 55 yrs of age¬ having any comorbidity & who closed their clinics due to lockdown, to work for 15 days to provide COVID19 treatment. They'll be paid & provided with protective gears,“ Director, Medical Education & Research stated.
Many private doctors have closed their clinics fearing the risk of contracting the deadly virus. Reports have emerged of doctors refusing to examine suspected COVID-19 patients showing symptoms like fever, cough, and breathlessness.
Maharashtra has the highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths. It has 15,525 coronavirus cases, with 617 deaths, and 2819 recoveries,according to the the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
