NEW DELHI: Echoing the sentiments of his colleagues in the government and other lawmakers, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale supported the setting up of memorials for all healthcare workers who are fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. The creation of such a memorial was first proposed by the Integrated Health and Wellbeing Council (IHWC) during their week-long virtual celebrations to pay tributes to the healthcare staff.
“The corona warriors are working selflessly and protecting our people against the pandemic. A memorial should surely be set up, not just in Delhi but also in every state capital,” said the minister while attending a webinar on the concluding day of the Gratitude Week, on July 8.
The 60-hour-long Gratitude Week celebration brought together all stakeholders of the critical health ecosystem under one roof to facilitate greater collaboration for an all round fight against the COVID-19 pandemic as well as other diseases that are taking a toll on the lives and productivity of our people. For their exemplary contribution to the health of people, the IHWC also honoured 18 doctors with The Guardians of Health award.
These include Prof M V Padma Srivastava (Head, Neurosciences Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi), Dr Jeyaraj Durai Pandian (Principal & Professor of Neurology, CMC Ludhiana & Vice President, World Stroke Organization), and Dr Alpesh Gandhi (President, Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India), among others.
“We began this virtual event on Doctor’s Day (July 1) to pay tribute to all the healthcare workers who are serving tirelessly in this pandemic. This is our humble way to highlight their contribution and sacrifices. We have memorials for martyrs and other leaders, then why not doctors? We strongly believe their sacrifices are comparable to those of war heroes,” said IHWC CEO Kamal Narayan,.
The IHWC has also begun crowdsourcing tributes for all healthcare workers and information about all doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals who have fallen. The memorial will carry all this information.