New academic tie-up to review COVID-19 deaths among Indian-origin medics
London, Apr 17 () A new academic tie-up between one of the UK's leading research institutions, Imperial College London, and a key doctors' group in the UK on Friday announced the launch of a new Research Forum to analyse the higher death rates from COVID-19 among Indian-origin and ethnic minority healthcare professionals.
The British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO) said the new Research Forum study will help target measures to mitigate risks and obtain a better understanding of incidence, outcomes and risk factors behind a "significantly" higher rate of coronavirus related mortality among black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) medics.
The forum comes as Dr Rajesh Kalraiya, a consultant paediatrician originally from Nagpur, became the latest Indian-origin doctor to die from COVID-19 this week.
"It is very traumatic to hear of the passing of a colleague and friend, who had graduated from the same medical school as me in Nagpur," said Dr Ramesh Mehta, President of BAPIO.
"It is an opportune time for us to be launching this new Research Forum to analyse the differentiating factors behind the significantly higher mortality among BAME healthcare professionals, even though they make up just 20 per cent of the National Health Service (NHS)," he said.
A team of researchers from the School of Public Health and Department of Public Health and Primary Care at Imperial College London and other leading academic institutions will come together for what has been described as a "landmark" drive.
The Research Forum is chaired by Dr Indranil Chakravorty, editor of the journal 'Sushruta' and would include eminent researchers such as Professor Neena Modi, Professor of Neonatal Medicine at Imperial College London; Professor Mala Rao, Professor of Epidemiology, Imperial College London and Medical Lead for Workforce, Race and Equality Standards (WRES) at NHS England; and Professor Geeta Menon, Postgraduate Dean, Health Education England, south London.
Their research has the potential to give data required to delineate vulnerable groups in the pandemic and give clear advice on how to reduce the impact on ethnic minorities.
"I have great ambitions of how we can marry research with tangible favourable outcomes to tackle COVID-19, and I look forward to the challenges we will no doubt face," said Chakravorty.
The new study also aims to establish a new research database as a national resource for the scientific communities to support other studies to improve the future wellbeing of NHS healthcare staff.
"This new initiative that will provide rigorous research evidence to improve the health and wellbeing of colleagues throughout the NHS during the present pandemic, and in the future," added Modi, who is also incoming president of the Medical Women's Federation in the UK.
The new tie-up comes as the UK government announced a wider review into the disproportionately high death rates and serious coronavirus cases among the country's BAME population.
BAPIO said both initiatives will run parallel as it has also been invited by Sir Simon Stevens, CEO of NHS England, to be part of a panel to draw up an action plan to take that investigation forward.
"The work could have far-reaching consequences for our communities, now and in the future," said Dr JS Bamrah, BAPIO chairman.
The focus on Indian-origin and minority ethnic healthcare workers as the first 10 medics on the NHS frontlines to die from the virus came from BAME communities, including two Indian-origin doctors – 58-year-old Jitendra Kumar Rathod, originally from Gujarat, and Birmingham-based Hamza Pacheeri, 80, from Kerala, with Dr Kalraiya from Nagpur, 69, has been added to the death toll this week. AK RUP