UCMS TEACHERS WANT MARTYR STATUS AND AID FOR STAFF WHO DIED OF COVID-19

The teachers’ association of the University College of Medical Sciences (UCMS) has written to chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, requesting him to provide solatium and “martyr status” to health care workers who lost their lives to Covid-19.

According to the teachers’ association, in the past week, three health care workers, including a 26-year-old junior resident doctor Anas Mujahid, have succumbed to the virus at the UCMS’S Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital.

“University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital lost three health-care professionals to Covid in a week during this Corona crisis: Gayatri Sharma (ANM, community medicine), G Ajay Kumar (EMO, GTBH), and 26-year-old Dr Anas Mujahid (junior resident). It is our state’s highest responsibility to honour, respect, and recognize their extraordinary effort and sacrifice,” the teachers said in the letter sent on Wednesday.

The teachers’ body has written a similar letter to the UCMS administration.

Despite several attempts, UCMS principal Anil K Jain did not respond to calls and texts seeking comments.

The teachers’ body also appealed to the Delhi government and UCMS administration to provide an inclusive solatium and martyr status to these health-care workers.

“Even though no amount can fill the void in the families affected by this loss, it would be our gesture that we stand with them and it will also motivate our health-care workers,” the letter said.

Mujahid, 26, died on Sunday, within hours of testing positive for Covid-19. The young doctor’s colleagues have also been demanding financial compensation for his family.

Mujahid was deployed in GTB hospital’s department of gynaecology.

A Delhi government spokesperson declined to comment on the matter.

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