KNRUHS to Deploy around 4,000 final year MBBS students for Covid duties

This comes after the recent release by the Prime Minister's Office, which mentioned that the services of final year MBBS students can be utilised for providing services like teleconsultation and monitoring of mild Covid cases after due orientation by faculty.

Medical Dialogues had reported about the PMO release, where it was decided to allow deployment of these Medical Interns in Covid Management duties under the supervision of their faculty, as part of the Internship rotation.

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"This will reduce the workload on existing doctors engaged in Covid duty and provide a boost to efforts of triaging," a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office said.

The PMO release had also mentioned that the services of Final Year PG Students (broad as well as super-specialties) as residents may continue to be utilized until fresh batches of PG Students have joined. It was also decided to postpone the NEET-PG 2021 exam by four months and request the aspirants to join Covid-19 duties.

Following this directive issued by the Central Government, KNRUHS is all set to utilize the service of the final year MBBS students as interns for covid-19 duties.

Also Read: PMO calls for Utililising Final year MBBS students for Teleconsultation, monitoring of mild Covid cases under Faculty supervision

Speaking to the Times of India, regarding the issue, KNRUHS vice-chancellor Karunaker Reddy said, "All students will have to work under supervision of their faculty on Covid-19 duties. Their internships shall commence in the next two to three weeks."

TOI further adds that secretary, health, medical and family welfare department, SAM Rizvi mentioned in a circular issued on May 3 to, "Utilise the services of post-graduates as residents for a period of three months or until a new batch of PG students joins after NEET-PG 2021, whichever is earlier, for smooth functioning of medical institutions in the state during the Covid-19 pandemic second wave."

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the National Medical Commission (NMC), in a recent advisory had also mentioned, "The services of these postgraduate students as Residents may be continued to be utilized until fresh batches of postgraduate students have joined."

Also Read: PG Students can continue as Residents until fresh batch joins: NMC

The daily adds that following the extension of their services, the PG medicos started demanding exam relaxation from the apex medical education authority, the NMC. While commenting on the matter, Mahesh Kumar, the President of the Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association, told TOI, "Final year exams require months of rigorous and uninterrupted preparations. But this time, their preparation was derailed following posting in Covid-19 duties and many have even tested positive. The NMC should at least reduce pass percentage from 50% to 35%."

In fact, requesting exam relaxations, the Telangana Junior Doctors' Association also wrote a letter to NMC on May 1.