PrimeMinister Narendra Modi on Monday reviewed the growing need of adequate humanresources for responding to the Covid-19 pandemic and took several importantdecisions to boost availability of medical personnel in Covid duty.
Adecision was also taken to postpone NEET-PG for at least four months and theexam will not be held before August 31 this year. Students will also be givenat least one month time after announcement of exam before it is conducted.
"Thiswill make a large number of qualified doctors available for Covid duties,"a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said.
Itwas also decided to allow deployment of medical interns in Covid managementduties under the supervision of their faculty, as part of the internship rotation.
Theservices of final year MBBS students can be utilised for providing serviceslike tele-consultation and monitoring of mild Covid cases after due orientationby and under supervision of faculty, it said. This will reduce the workload onexisting doctors engaged in Covid duty and provide boost to efforts oftriaging, it added.
Theservices of final year Post Graduate students (broad as well assuper-specialities) as residents may continue to be utilised until freshbatches of PG students have joined, the statement said,.
B.Sc.or GNM qualified nurses may be utilised in full-time Covid nursing duties underthe supervision of senior doctors and nurses, it said/
Theindividuals providing services in Covid management will be given priority inforthcoming regular government recruitments after they complete minimum of 100days of Covid duty, the statement said, adding that the medical students orprofessionals sought to be engaged in Covid-related work will be suitablyvaccinated and all health professionals thus engaged will be covered under theinsurance scheme of government for health workers engaged in fighting Covid-19.
Allsuch professionals who sign up for minimum 100 days of Covid duty and completeit successfully will also be given the Prime Minister's distinguished"Covid National Service Samman".
Notingthat doctors, nurses and allied professionals form the backbone of Covidmanagement and are also the frontline personnel, the PM mentioned that theirpresence in adequate strength is critical to address the needs of the patientswell.