NEW YORK: Dr. Sudheer S Chauhan, of Indian Origin in the New York region, succumbed to the deadly corona virus on May 19 2020
Dr. Chauhan, an Internal Medicine specialist in South Richmond was diagnosed with COVID-19 battling for his life for the past few weeks He died of complications from the illness.
Dr. Chauhan joined the Department of Medicine at Jamaica Hospital upon graduation in 1997 and is currently working as a faculty supervisor and attending physician. He is also the Associate Program Director in Internal Medicine Residency Program for the hospital.
Dr. Priya Khanna, 43, another Indian American nephrologist died in a New Jersey Hospital last month. The deadly virus also took the life of her father Satyendra Khanna (78), a general surgeon, after being in a critical condition in the intensive care unit in the same hospital.
Describing Indian American physicians as “the real heroes” Dr. Anupama Gotimukula, Vice President of AAPI said, “Several immigrant physicians work in the New York and New Jersey regions, the epic center of the pandemic. They are struggling with Green Card Backlog and on temporary Visa plans. Due to their vulnerability, they are forced to work and often they have no choice. Not having adequate PPE while caring for the Covid patients, many have become positive in the process, some have died, some are in ICU now and some are recuperating at home. These are the true saviors and unsung heroes saving the lives of so many Americans. We are proud of the services of Indian American physicians in this country.”
Expressing his anguish that “There is no standardized treatment protocols available at this time but multiple trial therapies are being conducted at several institutions around the world,” observed Dr. Narendra Kumar Past President of AAPI & AKMG Dr Kumar was very optimistic that Convalescent plasma therapy, anti-viral drug Remdesivir and other medications would be made available with significant promising results in the coming days. “We are also working on a national level to make new treatment protocols easily available to the needy patients by eliminating the unnecessary policy and procedural delays which is costing many valuable live,” he added
Indian-Americans constitute less than one percent of the country’s population, but they account for nine percent of the American doctors and physicians. One out of every seven doctors serving in the US is of Indian heritage, providing medical care to over 40 million of US population.
