We  need  to  ramp  up  the medical resources  during  this  pandemic  including  the  human  resources. To muster qualified doctors we  need  to  start  thinking  out  of  box.

1)    Cancel MD/MS examination

The  Government  in  its  wisdom has  decided  to  postpone  the  NEET PG  exam  in  view  of  this  Covid 19  pandemic by 4  months. The  final  year  postgraduate  students who  have  completed  their  3 year  of  residency  are  fatigued  but  will now  have  to  continue  to  bear  the  burden of  working  as  residents  for  atleast  6  months  more till  the  new  batch  of  post graduate students join. The  thesis of  these final year PGs  is  already  submitted. Under  the  circumstances the  exam (MD/MS) of  Post Graduation  should  be  waived  off  in  lieu  of  this  extra  service/training  for  these resident doctors  and  they  should  be  given  their  degree  without  any  further  evaluation after  six  months  of  extra  duty  being  forced  on  them. Majority  of  these  final year PG  students  would  anyway  have  cleared  their  exams by May-June 2021 had  the  exams  been  held. Those  who  could  not  clear  in  first  attempt  would  clear  in  the  supplementary  exams  held  a  few  months  later. Since  their  training  has  now  been  compulsorily  extended  to  3 and  half  years instead  of  the  3  years  they  had  signed  up  for the minimum  that  can  be  done  for  them  is  to  remove  the  stress  of  an exam  at  the  end  of  the  3 and half years.  Also  for  this  additional  six  months of  duty  they  should  be  paid emoluments  given  to Senior residents.

2)    Refund proportionate tution Fee to MBBS

There  also  a  talk  of  roping  in final  year MBBS  students  and interns  for  Covid  hospitals. This conscription for a  national  duty  should  not  be  complimentary  and  not  only  should proportionate  amount  of  tution  fee  paid  by  them  be  refunded  but  they  should  also  be  given  emoluments for  the  duration  of  service. appears  to  me  to  be  a  contradiction  of  thought in deciding  the  way  forward.

3)    Give additional marks for every month of Covid duty in NEET-PG & FMGE

I  can  understand that  the  Government is  desperately  needing  to  source  human  resources  to  manage  covid hospitals. There  are  approximately 1 lac MBBS  graduates  who  are sitting at home preparing for the  NEET  PG. I  suggest   providing 2 percent  marks in NEET  PG  exam for  every  month  of  Covid  duty  in  Government Hospitals. This  will  be  an  incentive  for  MBBS  doctors  currently  not  contributing to  the  covid effort professionally.   The  same  2 percent per  month of  Covid duty principle  may  also  be  extended  to  the  foreign medical  graduates  who  have  as yet  not  cleared  their licensure  examination. Potentially  these  two  steps  will  provide  the  nation  about  1.4 lac  medical graduates if  the  emoluments  for  this  duty  is  reasonable.

Dr Neeraj Nagpal
Convenor,Medicos Legal Action Group, Managing Director MLAG Indemnity,
Ex President IMA Chandigarh
Director Hope Gastrointestinal Diagnostic Clinic,
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