40-year-old gynaecologist’s death shocks Kolkata; second wave doctor toll touches 40 – Times of India

KOLKATA: A 40-year-old gynaecologist succumbed to Covid-19 on Friday, taking the Covid tally in the Bengal doctor fraternity to 40 during the second wave. Rashmi Khandelwal, who was attached with a few private hospitals in Kolkata, died at a private hospital off EM Bypass. She was on ventilation support for over a week.
According to sources, the gynaecologist tested positive in the first week of May. Initially, she remained in home isolation and was shifted to hospital after her condition deteriorated. An alumnus of Calcutta National Medical College, the 40-year-old had not been vaccinated. Sources said that she had an allergic condition due to which she had avoided the vaccine.
“It is painful to lose such young bright doctors. Though the number of doctors dying in the second wave is still lower than the count in the first wave, the virus continues to claim doctors and other healthcare workers,” said gynaecologist Bhaskar Pal, president of the Bengal Obstetrics and Gynaecological Society.
As many as 105 doctors died of Covid during the first wave — between March and December 2020 — in Bengal. Though the number of deaths during the second wave is around 40, the medical community is concerned about the fact that these deaths have occurred in a span of five months.
“During the first wave, most of the doctors who died were aged above 50. What is shocking this time is that we are seeing younger doctors succumb to the infection,” said a young doctor at SSKM Hospital.
In general, fatality among the elderly population who have been vaccinated have reduced this time. Youngsters across professions, on the other hand, have been dying frequently.
“Apart from two of three cases, the majority of the 40 odd doctors who died during this wave were not fully vaccinated, which is unfortunate,” said IMA state secretary Santanu Sen. “People might get infected despite being fully vaccinated. But the vaccine protects one from getting a severe disease,” added the Rajya Sabha MP.
Abdullah Sohail Hussein, another 34-year-old doctor attached with SSKM Hospital, had died on Friday due to post -Covid complications.
“Both the central and state governments have announced ex-gratia to families of doctors who contracted the infection in the line of duty and have died. Some of these doctors have died at the beginning of their careers. We want the authorities to ensure the amount to reach their families,” said radiation oncologist Sharadwat Mukherjee of Doctors for Patients.