IMA flags 800 doctor deaths in second wave

A majority were from Bihar and Delhi, as per the IMA, which has maintained a state-wise registry of doctors who died of Covid-19.

Written by Anuradha Mascarenhas

Pune | Updated: July 1, 2021 07:00 AM IST

4 min read

Two months prior to the first dose, 40 of the participants had Covid-19 infection and 10 of them had breakthrough infection. No mortality was reported.

A 28-year-old resident doctor from Maharashtra.

A 34-year-old postgraduate resident doctor from Karnataka, five months pregnant.

An 80-year-old medical practitioner from Bihar.

A 96-year-old radiologist from Telangana.

These are some among 800 doctor deaths that the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has counted in the second wave of Covid-19 this year. A majority were from Bihar and Delhi, as per the IMA, which has maintained a state-wise registry of doctors who died of Covid-19.

Analysis is underway to assess how many were fully vaccinated or had received one jab. Preliminary findings, however, show few among them had received full vaccination. A majority also had to receive their first vaccine dose.

To date, the IMA data shows that more than 1,500 doctors have died of Covid-19. The IMA has declared ‘Save the Saviours’ as the theme of this year’s National Doctors’ Day, which is observed on July 1.

Dr Jayesh Lele, secretary general of IMA headquarters, told The Indian Express that studies were underway and information was being collected from each state regarding the number of doctors who had succumbed and the number of doctors who had been administered either one or both doses.

“So far, we have the data of 800 doctors in our registry and initial observations indicate that a majority were yet to be fully vaccinated. Not many had got the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine,” Dr Lele said, adding that they were also looking at data where young doctors had succumbed to Covid-19 and, among primary reasons, could be exposure to high viral load in ICUs or CCUs. He, however, said the analysis was underway.

According to the state-wise list of doctors who died in the IMA Covid registry, 128 medicos were from Delhi, 115 from Bihar and 79 from Uttar Pradesh, who succumbed to the infection. West Bengal reported 62 deaths of doctors followed by 51 in Tamil Nadu, 44 in Rajasthan, 42 in Andhra Pradesh, 39 each in Gujarat and Jharkhand, 37 in Telangana, 36 in Odisha, 24 in Kerala and 23 in Maharashtra. Haryana reported 19 deaths while Assam reported 10.

Last year, the toll among this high-risk group was 754. Then, the highest numbers were from Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

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According to Dr Rohan Krishnan, national vice-president of Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), there was no data on how many doctors had died after being administered one dose of the vaccine. “However, according to available information, it is likely that few would have succumbed after both doses of vaccination. There were, however, several doctors who did get infected after the dose but 99 per cent recovered,” he said.

While across the country, doctors’ associations will observe Doctors’ Day either by organising blood donation camps or vaccine drives, some like FAIMA will work for another three extra hours for free.

This year, Doctors’ Day is special in the backdrop of the pandemic, said Dr J A Jayalal, president (national), IMA. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the entire medical fraternity on the occasion.

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Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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Coronavirus vaccine Covid Second Wave COVID-19 doctors India Indian Medical Association Narendra Modi