Some of Britain’s leading doctors have lent their voices to a call for India to postpone planned elections as the COVID-19 pandemic devastates the country.
It is one among several measures proposed by the experts in a joint letter to The BMJ.
Signatories include diabetes specialist Professor Kamlesh Khunti, from Leicester, Professor Kiran Patel, a chief medical officer, and Professor Wasim Hanif, a diabetes specialist in Birmingham.
India yesterday reported more than 379,000 new cases of infection and 3,647 deaths from the virus.
The experts set out a number of measures that should be applied globally to stem the resurgence of the pandemic.
These include “criteria based” systems for access to hospital beds to ensure the best chances of survival for patients together with workforce planning, applied globally to balance the impact of migration.
They write: “Total indirect deaths related to covid-19 due to disruptions in care, access to care and poverty are likely to kill more patients than the pandemic itself.
“Whilst history tells us that action and inaction has resulted in global inequity and iniquity, it is now time to define which actions and inactions we prioritise to drive equity and prosperity during and following the pandemic.”
The letter came as the Academy of the Medical Royal Colleges added its voice to calls for the UK to share its vaccine stockpile.
The Academy said the UK should release 30% of its orders to other countries among other actions.
The Royal College of GPs declared its support for the proposals, stating: “The RCGP has a long-standing strong connection with India, and our thoughts are with our colleagues who are fighting the crisis on the frontline, as well as with our many members who have families and friends there.
“We stand in solidarity with the people of India and all those communities that continue to be devastated by COVID across the world.”
The UK yesterday reported securing another 60 million doses of Pfizer vaccine in preparation for a booster programme later this year.
BMJ 28 April 2021 [abstract]
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