AP PG medical final-year students seek senior resident status and hike in stipend

VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh government would soon draft final-year medical PG students for Covid duty in view of the daily surge in infections. An order will be issued in a day or two, officials said on Friday.

The National Medical Commission had issued an advisory saying the final year exams of PG courses as also the PG-NEET test were delayed and there hence was a delay in start of the new academic session for 2021-22. The services of PG students as Residents may continue to be utilised to handle the surge in Covid19 cases until fresh batches of postgraduate students joined, it said.

Prime Minister Modi has himself announced that PG-NEET is not being held before August 31 and the services of final-year PG students could be availed for Covid work until the fresh batch of PG first-year students joined the courses.

Even if PG-NEET is held in September, it may take nearly two months for the new batch of PG students to join the medical courses. This means that the services of PG final-year students can be availed until November.

In this backdrop, the PG final-year students under the aegis of the Andhra Pradesh junior doctors’ association submitted a representation at the office of the director of medical education, pleading that the extra period of residency may be considered to induct them as senior residents and sought a hike in stipend.

They said that though an assurance was given to them for such a hike last year, this was not implemented. They pleaded that a hike in stipend be given to senior residents of the order of Rs70,000 per month, on par with that of their colleagues in Telangana. They also sought the exam intimation at least 40 days before its commencement so that they will have sufficient time to prepare and appear for the PG final exams.

Some students from government service and from self-finance medical colleges had signed a bond to serve them for two to three years respectively after completion of PG. They appealed for inclusion of the extended period of study/work in the bond period so that they can be relieved from such a commitment a few months in advance.

On the other hand, some PG final-year students from private medical colleges are requesting their college managements to give them an assurance of senior resident status and a hike in stipend before drafting them for Covid duty.

There will be more than 2,000 PG final-year students pursuing medical education in 11 government and 17 private medical colleges in the state.

AP JUDA state president Dr Rahul Roy said, “We have submitted a representation to the DME with a request for their induction as senior residents, a hike in stipend and prior intimation to them about the exam schedule. We are told that without appearing for the final exams, there may not be any provision to accord senior resident status.”

Director of medical education Dr M. Raghavendra Rao said, “The state government is looking into their issues positively and an order may be issued in a day or two to draft them officially for Covid duty as they are already attending to such a service.”