The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll on doctors, who are at the forefront of the battle against the deadly virus. The Indian Medical Association, on Tuesday, said that the devastating second wave had caused deaths of at least 270 doctors across
India, including ex-IMA President Dr KK Aggarwal, reports PTI.

The highest number of deaths (78) were recorded in Bihar, with
Uttar Pradesh (37) in second place, followed by Delhi (29) and Andhra Pradesh
(22).

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As per COVID-19 related data from the IMA, 748
doctors had died during the first wave in 2020.

“Last year, 748 doctors across India succumbed to
Covid-19, while in the current wave, in a short period, we have lost 270
doctors.

“The second wave of the pandemic is turning out to be
extremely fatal for all and especially for the healthcare workers who are at
the forefront”, IMA President Dr JA Jayalal was quoted by PTI as saying.

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Total number of deaths recorded during the last 24 hours in
India stands currently at 4,329, up from 4,106 deaths in the previous day.

Out of India’s total population of close to 1.4 billion
people, a total of 18,44,53,149 citizens have received at least the first dose
of the COVID-19 vaccine, as per data issued by Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare on Tuesday.