Chennai: House Surgeons demand Incentive Marks in Government Service Recruitment against COVID-19 service
Chennai: In a plea to the government, house surgeons currently serving in COVID wards across various government or government-approved private medical college hospitals have sought incentive marks in the upcoming government doctor recruitment drive conducted by the Medical Recruitment Board.
Expressing their concerns, the house surgeons are seeking equitable treatment with doctors recruited on contract and post-graduate professionals who were assigned responsibilities during the pandemic. They argue that the nature of their duties, especially in Covid-19 wards, warrants recognition in the form of incentive marks during the recruitment process.
Dr. S S Shrinidhi, of Vellore, wrote a letter to State Health Secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi stating that incentive marks should be granted to doctors deployed on COVID-19 wards in government-run hospitals or private medical colleges with government approval, reports Times of India. As part of the required rotating residential internship, Shrinidhi was stationed in the COVID ward during the second and third waves of the pandemic. “During these stressful periods, some of my batch mates/ CRRI trainees were also infected with COVID-19, despite all precautionary methods being followed,” she argued.
The request comes in the wake of a 2021 Supreme Court directive that urged the Union of India and all states to formulate an effective policy recognizing the contributions of healthcare personnel who were at the forefront of combating the challenges posed by the second wave of the pandemic. On May 3 that year, PM Narendra Modi promised that “individuals providing Covid management services will be given priority in forthcoming regular Government recruitments after they complete 100 days of Covid duty.”
Previously Medical Dialogues reported that in an order, the Madras High Court bench stated that medical practitioners and postgraduate doctors, who were engaged in COVID-19 duty in government hospitals, should be granted incentive marks. House surgeons, who played a crucial role in managing COVID-19 cases, are advocating for incentive marks in the MRB examination as a means to acknowledge their dedicated service during the critical period. The proposal aims to factor in the practical experience gained in COVID-19 wards, considering the unique challenges and demands faced by healthcare professionals during the pandemic.
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