Nashik: Amid the coronavirus outbreak and shortage of doctors to handle its cases, the Final Year MBBS students in the state are awaiting their supplementary exams to be conducted so they can contribute to the national response to COVID-19 and join the workforce in providing efficient patient care.
Pinpointing the same, the 2015 batch around 400 MBBS students of Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) had moved the authorities to make a one-time exception and conduct so they can serve the country in this emergency.
These students had failed in winter 2019 examinations and are awaiting supplementary examinations which are supposed to be held in June 2020. However, the examination has been postponed indefinitely due to the ongoing crisis. This has considerably affected their academic career as they would not be eligible to appear in various postgraduate entrance examinations because of the delay of their internship completion period.
Subsequently, the students have asked authorities to conduct them soon.
Earlier, a similar situation was noticed in Delhi when the Final year MBBS (Supplementary Exam) results held under Delhi University for 176 medicos had not been declared. But now the results are announced along with the internship posting schedule.
The Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) had intervened in the matter and had written to Medical Council of India (MCI) concerning the delay in the declaration of Final Year MBBS (Supplementary) Exam Results.
Read Also: Final Year MBBS Sup Results For MAMC, LHMC, UCMS Delayed: FORDA Urges MCI To Intervene
Following this only, the MUHS students had made an appeal. Now, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Maharashtra State's Medical Students Network, All India Medical Students Association (AIMSA) and FORDA have come in support of the medicos citing that the students are awaiting their supplementary examination to commence their duty as complementary to the national response for the COVID-19 pandemic following the declaration of their result.
In their separate letters urging to save the academic year of the medicos and consider the ongoing global healthcare crisis, the association moved the MCI.
The FORDA pointed out that as per the MCI notification, the cutoff date for joining internship is set at May 1st in order to be eligible for NEET PG 2021.
This has greatly affected their academic career as they would not be eligible to appear in various postgraduate entrance examinations because of delay in the internship completion. Also already there is a shortage of doctors and our early joining would make things easier for everyone. Various universities across India have already taken action and conducted the supplementary exams, AIMSA stated.
The nation is in crisis with a shortage in the frontline workers pandering to the needs of the pandemic, speeding the process Is a necessity in such times to expand the essential workforce. Numerous universities have already taken prompt action and conducted the supplementary examination due to the crisis and the necessity, read the letter by IMA
Under the current scenario, the associations suggested the following steps:
1) To extend the Eligibility criteria of Internship completion of NEET PG 2021 so that the students can also appear the examination and their academic year is intact as saving their academic year as even students in Delhi have benefitted in spite of being from the same batch of 2015 MBBS.
2) Or, fast track the examination process by either Internal Assessment or On-line Examination Or
3) Give permission to start the MCI REGISTERED internship and count this internship period in their academic year in the subjects which they already have passed in. This will ensure that they will complete an internship in time and hence appear for NEET PG 2021.