Agra, Jul 1 (IANS): As the country celebrates Doctors' Day on Wednesday, people in Agra expressed appreciation and gratitude to the members of the medical fraternity who stood like the Gibraltar Rock between the deadly novel coronavirus and the patients, at great risk to their own health and well being.
In Agra, dozens of junior and senior doctors have been doing round the clock duty at the S.N. Medical College and the district hospital, in tough conditions and at times even without adequate infrastructural support.
Generally, doctors are seen to be at the receiving end, targeted by all sections. "But this three month period has changed the perception and a new health consciousness is discernible at all levels," said senior practitioner Doctor Harendra Gupta, a former secretary of the Indian Medical Association (IMA).
The Agra branch of the IMA on Wednesday organised a public felicitation programme to honour the health warriors at the Shaheed Smarak. IMA secretary Dr. Sanjay Chaturvedi said, "We have early today organised a walkathon, to raise funds to support efforts to contain the Covid-19 spread. The front line warriors deserve our gratitude and admiration for the sincere work at great risk."
The doctors at the century-old S.N. Medical College, have been the key players in the execution of the strategy to provide treatment and ensure a healthy recovery rate. After a long while, people's faith and confidence in the government health sector has been restored, health activists said. Conditions were bad in April and May, but when the Yogi government appointed Dr. Sanjay Kala as the new principal, the whole system was galvanised into action and the gaps in the infrastructure were effectively plugged.
The local Lady Loyal Hospital has also stood as an example of devotion with the professionalism of a high order, delivering thousands of kids during the pandemic, when private nursing homes were either closed or refused to admit patients.
Meanwhile, with eight fresh cases, the total count of COVID-19 patients was 1,227 till Wednesday morning. So far 1,021 have been discharged. The death toll is now 86 with the addition of one more on Tuesday.