New Delhi
Seeking to augment human resources deployed in fighting COVID-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved a slew of measures, including postponing the NEET-PG for at least four months to make a large number of qualified doctors available for pandemic duty and pressing into service medical interns.
All such professionals who complete 100 days of duty will be given priority in the forthcoming regular government recruitment and also honoured with the Prime Minister's Distinguished COVID National Service Samman, the PMO said in a statement on Monday. It said the services of final year MBBS students can also be utilised for providing services like teleconsultation and monitoring of mild COVID cases after due orientation under the faculty's supervision.
Medical interns will work under the supervision of their faculty. This will reduce the workload on the existing doctors engaged in COVID duty and boost the efforts of triaging, it said.
It added that B.Sc. or GNM qualified nurses may be utilised in full-time COVID nursing duties under the supervision of senior doctors and nurses.
Those providing services in COVID management will be given priority in forthcoming regular government recruitments after they complete a minimum of 100 days of duty, the PMO said. The medical students and professionals to be engaged in COVID-related work will be suitably vaccinated, it said.
"All such professionals who sign up for a minimum of 100 days of duty and complete it successfully will also be given the Prime Minister's Distinguished COVID National Service Samman from the government of India," it said.
