Medicos write to Health Minister seeking adequate protective gear

Govt. urged to postpone exam for medical officers

02/04/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,CHENNAI

With the one-year Compulsory Rotatory Residential Internship (CRRI) having been extended by a month for interns of the 2014 MBBS batch, the Tamil Nadu Medical Students’ Association (TNMSA) has requested the State government and hospital administrations to provide them with, and ensure the availability of, adequate protective gear such as personal protective equipment, N95 masks and hand sanitisers to combat the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

In a memorandum to the Health Minister, the association requested the government to ensure the availability of necessary protective gear in the workplace without any compromise. They suggested that the 2014-batch interns could be kept as a reserve medical team for managing the disease.

Noting that the global pandemic may last a few more months, the association urged the government to postpone the upcoming Tamil Nadu Medical Services Recruitment Board exam for medical officers and recommend that the Union government postpones NEET PG 2021.

TNMSA also requested college and hospital administrations to issue the CRRI completion certificates at the end of the original period of posting without any delay, provided the candidates have received no negative remarks during their internship, get them registered with the State Medical Council and issue university degree certificates.

This is because any delay would affect their seniority when it comes to registration with the Tamil Nadu Medical Council as their counterparts in private medical colleges have completed their CRRI, the memorandum said.

The association also urged the government to sanction salaries and ensure that its members would benefit from the incentives announced for healthcare providers involved in COVID-19 management.