Careers at stake

Thousands of medical students are utterly frustrated as the government is deciding to postpone the examinations due to the rise in Covid cases and again wanting the same pupils to get involved in the Covid ward duty. According to the government, MBBS doctors are prone to get affected if they sit for the examinations but such might not happen if they join Covid wards.

In the midst of the pandemic, elections took place and even religious gatherings were allowed. Their careers are at stake and their training period is extended over an indefinite period. Resident doctors and medical students have written to the concerned authorities regarding their dissatisfaction with the central government’s decision. But in vain.

There are nearly 50,000postgraduate medical students, which includes more or less 10,000 Diplomate of National Board (DNB) students maximum from private hospitals and 40,000 MD/MS and diploma students from medical colleges who were ready for graduation. But, the government has decided to extend their period unless the next batch joins. The fresh batch cannot join unless the post-graduation entrance examination is over, which is due on August 31.

When Harsh Vardhan, health minister took to Twitter on April 15 to announce the postponement of the entrance examination for the post-graduates, just two days before it was scheduled, he stated, “The decision has been taken keeping the wellbeing of our young medical students in mind.” He further added, “Health & safety of our young doctors is paramount.”

A postgraduate student said, “It takes about a month for the results of the exam to be declared and another two months for counselling. So, we cannot expect a fresh batch of PG students to join till November- December. Resident doctors have been doing Covid duty for more than a year now and they are exhausted. Instead of getting a fresh batch to relieve them, the government has done this.”

More than 1.7 lakh MBBS doctors have got themselves registered for the postgraduate entrance examination.

The PMO wishes the final year MBBS students to take up the charge in the Covid ward. Neither they nor the third year batch of students has got clinical duties. They shall now take up the charge of the Covid ward. A postgraduate student exclaimed, “Hardly any of them have been vaccinated. You are risking their lives by putting them on Covid duty.”

An associate professor from a Delhi medical college stated, “The best option would be to hold exams internally, mark liberally, do clinical exams using virtual cases and let them graduate. The third-year students need a break. For that we need fresh batches to join, which cant happen if you postpone exams.”

An office-bearer of a resident doctors’ association, one among those who have written to the authorities said, “The government has completely upended the careers for thousands of doctors. We don’t want any PM samman certificate, grace marks or more money. Just let us graduate. Don’t extend our tenure. Or, at least treat the extended tenure as senior residency.”