MCI asked to postpone PG medical exams

Written by Garima Published On 2020-06-08T19:15:43+05:30 | Updated On 8 Jun 2020 7:15 PM IST

This comes in light of the fact that students are engaged in COVID-19 duties and they do not have enough time to prepare; besides, some doctors have even contracted the disease.

Mumbai: With many medicos stuck with PG duty or having contracted COVID themselves, objections are now coming to the Medical Council of India (MCI) on its imposed deadline in holding the PG medical final exams amidst the current scenario.

Recently, the state of Gujarat has written to the MCI to delay the exams while Maharashtra has sought cancellation of pending summer exams. The applications are being submitted in light of the fact that students are engaged in COVID-19 duties and they do not have enough time to prepare; besides, some doctors have even contracted the disease.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported about the MCI order whereby all medical colleges varsities were directed to complete the University Examinations for PG Board Specialities by 30th June 2020.

Now, pointing out that resident doctors are tirelessly on their COVID 19 duty and some have even contracted the disease, in a letter dated May 25 to the Chairman of the Board of Governors in Supersession of MCI (MCI BoG) and Niti Aayog member, Dr VK Paul; Additional Secretary, health and family welfare department, VG Vanzara, requested to conduct PG examinations after August 15 on account of the prevailing situation of Covid-19 pandemic.

The Gujarat state health department mentioned that over 1,850 resident doctors across the state will not be able to appear for their final year examinations before August 15, 2020, as the state "cannot spare them from Covid-19 duty" amid the outbreak with a rising toll.

Joining the trail, over 900 final-year PG medical students in Maharashtra have now submitted a letter to the Council demanding cancellation of pending Summer exams including four theory and practical papers. Previously, eliminating the confusion over the UG and PG medical examinations due to the coronavirus lockdown, the Maharashtra Governor had granted permission to conduct all these exams from July 15 onwards as proposed by the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS).

However, the medicos are not happy with the exams being held this soon. The PG medical students who are constantly on COVID 19 duty, have come forward demanding cancellation of the exams. According to them, they do not have time to prepare for them.

As per a recent media report in The Indian Express, the letter to the MCI and state authorities read, "The competence of doctors is automatically being tested in their participation in (the) current crisis, and several internal examinations and our own faculty can vouch for it considering the course of our residencies."

MCIpg medicalMedical Council of India

Source : with inputs

Garima

Garima joined Medical Dialogues in the year 2017 and is currently working as a Senior Editor. She looks after all the Healthcare news pertaining to Medico-legal cases, NMC/DCI decisions, Medical Education issues, government policies as well as all the news and updates concerning Medical and Dental Colleges in India. She is a graduate from Delhi University and pursuing MA in Journalism and Mass Communication. She can be contacted at editorial@medicaldialogues.in Contact no. 011-43720751