Delhi Medical Association slams Kejriwal for 'warning doctors and threatening hospitals' amid COVID-19 crisis

The Delhi Medical Association (DMA) on Saturday condemned the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for "warning doctors and threatening hospitals" in the national capital over the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases.

The DMA also condemned the FIR filed against the authorities of the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital for allegedly "violating rules for registering coronavirus tests".

"The Delhi Medical Association strongly condemns the way Delhi CM (chief minister) is warning the doctors and threatening the hospitals about COVID-19 patients’ admissions and tests," a letter issued by the DMA said.

For context, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had earlier said that strong action will be taken against some private hospitals for refusing admission to coronavirus patients. At a press conference, Kejriwal had also accused some private hospitals of being involved in "black-marketing" of beds, asserting that an order will be issued by the Delhi government stating that hospitals cannot deny treatment to such people.

In response to this, the DMA said, "Doctors who are serving the people of Delhi tirelessly from last two months in this pandemic crisis risking their lives feel insulted by the way they are being treated."

It added, "Hospitals are backbone of healthcare and are serving the patients COVID or non-COVID, they are being penalised and government instead of praising their efforts is issuing new diktats daily. Doctors of Delhi are already overworked and overstressed in this hour of pandemic crisis and the state government is unnecessarily putting pressure on healthcare systems," the statement said, claiming the support of its 15,000 members."

The Chief Minister had also said that medical professionals will be deputed by Delhi government at all hospitals who will update availability of beds for coronavirus patients at an official app.