DMER institutes to provide 1,204 medical personnel for Covid-19 duty

Medical Education Minister Amit Deshmukh has sanctioned the appointment of 1,204 specialised final year medical students to bolster the requirement of specialised staff in the wake of the surging Covid-19 pandemic in the state.

Urgent requirement of specialist medical staff to man intensive care units (ICU) of Covid-19 dedicated hospitals in Maharashtra has also prompted the premature service recruitment of students from medical institutions affiliated to the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER).

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In addition to this, another 1,648 students who appeared for their final year examinations for intensive care and postgraduate medical courses conducted by the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences and awaiting their results of the scheduled examinations that were recently concluded as per the summer 2020 academic calendar that were recently concluded are also being pressed into government service.

Once results of these examinations are declared by the university, the DMER normally contracts successful candidates who have completed their postgraduate or special treatment courses from government and municipal medical colleges on contract, a process that has been prematurely necessitated due to Covid-19.

Deshmukh noted that while the appointments would be based on the institutes the students hail from and, on the criterion of the subjects of their final year of study, there was the probable likelihood of surplus candidates from some subjects due to which adequate seats (bonded service contract in their field of specialisation) would not be available to all of them.

"In view of the growing incidence of Covid-19 patients in the state, and in order to seamlessly infuse them into the state-run health care system, students who have passed the special treatment and post-graduate courses will be appointed for the bond service as per the existing demand from concerned District Collectors or even to bolster the services of dedicated Covid-19 hospitals reporting a high incidence of the Coronavirus," Deshmukh further stated.

A total of 1,648 students sat for the examination of the intensive care medical course and postgraduate medical course under Maharashtra University of Health Sciences. The exams for the summer 2020 session concluded in March with results expected anytime.

Of the available bonded students, numbering 1,204, only 444 would get contracted to the post of Senior Residents and Medical Officers as per the prescribed procedure under the Government Resolution (GR) of April 4, 2012, and the Government Corrigendum of August 4, 2012, that deals with appointments to be given to bonded students. Similarly, another 385 will be appointed as Assistant Professors in Government Medical Colleges, 178 as Assistant Professors in BMC Municipal Medical Colleges, 282 as Specialist Officers in Municipal Hospitals and 359 in Healthcare Hospitals/DCH/DCHC.

"However, in view of the increasing number of Covid-19 patients, the Director of Medical Education and Research was informed on September 14, 2020, that the procedure is waived till March 31, 2021, and the services of students will be employed at all government and municipal Medical Colleges, affiliate hospitals and even hospitals under the jurisdiction of the Public Health Department," Deshmukh said.

Bonded services at Government Medical Colleges, BMC Medical Colleges, BMC Hospital Hospital Specialist Medical Officers and hospitals/DCH/DCHC under Public Health Department will be provided by the Director of Medical Education and Research. In addition to this, the list of bonded candidates to be made available for Hospitals/DCH/DCHCs under Public Health Department and for Medical Colleges and Hospitals of BMC will be given to the Department of Public Health, Director of Health Services and BMC through the Director of Medical Education and Research.

The honorarium/salary of the concerned will be paid as per the rules of the establishment through which the bonded candidates are appointed. Also, the candidates who will be appointed on bonded service for the treatment of Covid-19 patients will get accommodation arranged by the concerned establishment, the Minister of Medical Education noted.