Karnataka to build memorial for COVID warriors who succumbed to COVID-19

PTI, Jul 1, 2021, 1:47 PM IST

Bengaluru: A first-of-its-kind grand COVID Warrior Memorial in honour of doctors and paramedical staff who ‘martyred’ themselves in the fight against coronavirus would be built in Bengaluru, Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar said on Thursday.

”We will build a memorial to pay homage to those doctors who laid down their lives due to COVID while rendering their services on our Arogya Soudha premises. I believe this is the first memorial in the country,” Sudhakar said during a function to celebrate National Doctors’ Day.

The Minister said his department has decided to build it in a unique way in memory of doctors and paramedics, which will be on par with the War Memorial in New Delhi where anyone can go and pay their respects.

The memorial will be a place where everyone can come and pay tribute, he added.

Stating that about 800 doctors died due to COVID in the country during the second wave of COVID, Sudhakar said many of them left behind their families including children in the line of duty.

”Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called the doctors COVID warriors. We call only those soldiers martyrs who died for the nation during the fight but we are announcing today that the doctors and paramedics who died due to COVID are martyrs and we will build a memorial for them,” Sudhakar explained.

He also said in the next few weeks the sketch of the structure would be ready.

After the structure is ready, the family members of the martyrs will be invited to pay their tributes.

Sudhakar said his department will fix a date to observe the martyrs’ day of doctors.

The Minister also paid his homage to late Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy, former Chief Minister of West Bengal, who was also a noted physician, for his contribution to the medical field and in whose memory his birthday is celebrated across India as National Doctors’ Day on July 1.