Mumbai: In a major decision, nearly 4,000 doctors, who have passed out MBBS from various medical colleges in 2019, will be deployed on the COVID-19 duties across Maharashtra. This was announced by the Minister of Medical Education Amit Deshmukh and Department of Medical Education and Research (DMER) on Sunday.
‘’The DMER had received representations that doctors in Mumbai, Pune, Akola, Nagpur, Aurangabad have a lot of workload and obviously they need a break as they are dealing with the highly infectious disease. They need to go on duty on rotation. If the number of coronavirus patients increase, we have to be prepared and we need more helping hands. So there are 4,000 doctors almost waiting to work,’’ said Deshmukh. He informed that his department will move to the National Medical Commission with a plea to give these doctors a provisional degree certificate so that they can be deployed on COVID-19 duties.
Deshmukh said these doctors can be put to work as medical officers across Maharashtra during the present coronavirus crisis. ‘’This decision will be an example for the country as Maharashtra will be the first state to deploy as many as 4,000 passed out doctors but waiting to get their degree certificate,’’ he noted.
Deshmukh said the DMER Director Tatyarao Lahane and vice-chancellors to speak to the National Medical Education which will accept state’s plea. He added that these doctors will be paid some honorarium which will be decided by the DMER Director.
Further, the Minister said that some doctors and nurses from Kerala will be deployed to treat COVID-19 patients in the state. ‘’Some 50 odd doctors and nurses will come and provide their services in Maharashtra. I have instructed DMER Director to work out the honorarium to be paid to them,’’ he added.
In addition to this, Deshmukh said the private doctors have also evinced interest to serve in the government hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients. ‘’ They will have to make online registration with DMER and later they will also be deployed. So with these initiatives, team of doctors and nurses will be to combat virus more effectively,’’ he opined.
