Hindustan Times (East UP)

Govt to rope in medical students for Covid-19 care

Govt postpones NEET-PG exam; decides to engage final year MBBS students for Covid related duties

- Malavika PM letters@hindustant­imes.com

NEW DELHI: A review committee chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday decided to deploy medical interns on Covid-19 management duties under the supervisio­n of their faculty, as part of their internship. The committee also decided to vaccinate medical students and profession­als engaged in such duties.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the growing need for adequate human resource in responding to the pandemic and took a slew of decisions that will boost the availabili­ty of medical personnel. The review meeting also decided to postpone NEET-PG for at least four months; the committee said the exam will not be held before August 31. Candidates will be given at least a month’s notice before the exams are held. This decision has been taken in the hope that this will make available a large number of qualified doctors for Covid duties.

In a bid to further augment the manpower to fight the pandemic, the government said services of final year MBBS students can be utilised for providing services like tele-consultati­on and monitoring of mild Covid cases after due orientatio­n by faculty. “This will reduce the workload on existing doctors engaged in Covid duty and provide boost to efforts of triaging,” a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office said.

The committee also said that all health profession­als who are engaged in Covid-related duties will be covered under the Insurance Scheme of Government for health workers.

Those medical personnel completing 100 days of Covid duties will be given the Prime Minister’s Distinguis­hed Covid National Service Samman from and will also be given priority in forthcomin­g regular government recruitmen­ts.

THE COVID REVIEW COMMITTEE CHAIRED BY THE PM HAS DECIDED TO POSTPONE NEET-PG FOR AT LEAST 4 MONTHS

NEW DELHI: A review committee chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday decided to deploy medical interns on Covid management duties under the supervisio­n of their faculty, as part of their internship. The committee also decided to vaccinate medical students and profession­als engaged in such duties.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the growing need for adequate human resource in responding to the pandemic and took a slew of decisions that will boost the availabili­ty of medical personnel. The review meeting also decided to postpone NEET-PG for at least four months; the committee said the exam will not be held before August 31. Candidates will be given at least a month’s notice before the exams are held. This decision has been taken in the hope that this will make available a large number of qualified doctors for Covid duties.

In a bid to further augment the manpower to fight the pandemic, the government said services of final year MBBS students can be utilised for providing services like tele-consultati­on and monitoring of mild Covid cases after due orientatio­n by faculty. “This will reduce the workload on existing doctors engaged in Covid duty and provide boost to efforts of triaging,” a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office said.

Along with this, BSc/GNM qualified nurses to be utilised in full-time Covid nursing duties under the supervisio­n of senior doctors and nurses.

The committee also said that all health profession­als who are engaged in Covid-related duties will be covered under the Insurance Scheme of Government for health workers. Those medical personnel completing 100 days of Covid duties will be given the Prime Minister’s Distinguis­hed Covid National Service Samman from the Government of India and will also be given priority in forthcomin­g regular government recruitmen­ts.

The Centre had issued guidelines on June 16 2020 to facilitate the engagement of Doctors/ Nurses for Covid duties. A special ₹15,000 crore Public Health Emergency Support was provided by the Centre to ramp up facilities and human resources for Covid management.

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