E-Paper
Uddhav Thackeray writes to PM Modi with request to postpone PG Medical final exams
Maharashtra is close to registering 1.5 lakh Covid-19 cases with 3,890 fresh coronavirus infections recorded on Wednesday.
Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has requested PM Narendra Modi’s intervention for the postponement of post graduation examination for medical students enrolled in MD (Doctor of Medicine) and MS (Master of Surgery) courses in the state till December 2020. Uddhav said the services of final year medical students were needed for clinical management of coronavirus cases in India’s worst-affected state.
The letter from Maharashtra CM’s office requests PM Modi to direct the Medical Council of India (MCI) to postpone the tests organised by Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, Nashik.
“The final year (senior resident-3) resident doctors who are required to take these examinations are presently working on the frontline in all Government of Maharashtra and Municipal Medical Colleges assisting the clinical management of Covid-19 patients. In the event these examinations are held as per schedule, there would be a serious shortage of trained doctors during this very crucial period,” the letter says.
Maharashtra is close to registering 1.5 lakh Covid-19 cases with 3,890 fresh coronavirus infections recorded on Wednesday. The tally of Covid-19 infections in the state has reached 1,42,900 including 6,739 fatalities.
Also Read: Covid-19 update: Maharashtra a step closer to 1.5 lakh cases mark, Mumbai nears 70,000
Uddhav’s letter gives a glimpse of the challenges the state may have to face if the final year medical students enrolled in the post graduate courses suddenly become unavailable to help in state’s containment efforts due to the examination, which has been proposed to be held from July 15.
The dates have been set pursuant to an advisory by the board of governors of the Medical Council of India.
“Pursuant to the above advisory, Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, Nashik, has proposed to the government of Maharashtra that these exams should be conducted from July 15, 2020 onwards,” the letter says explaining the dilemma.
Uddhav’s letter comes amid criticism of his government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis. BJP leader and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has been pointing out alleged shortcomings in the state government’s response from time to time.
Uddhav’s letter requests that not only the MD/MS examinations, but also the entrance examinations for super speciality courses—the DM/MCh, are postponed too.
“I would request your intervention to direct the Medical Council of India to postpone the MD/MS examination till December 2020. So also I would request for the postponement of the Entrance Examination of the Super-speciality (DM/MCh) to a date subsequent to December 2020 i.e, after the conclusion of the final year MD/MS exams,” says the letter.
The letter comes on a day when the Maharashtra government told the Bombay High Court that it cannot permit the conduct of standard X and XII exams of the Indian School Certificate Examination (ICSE) board, scheduled in July due to the current Covid-19 situation. The government said it has also decided not to conduct its own university exams for final year students in the state in the wake of the pandemic.
