Kottayam: Setting a new precedent, the Kerala government has appointed final-year MBBS students as house surgeons. According to the authorities, the temporary move is aimed at solving the acute shortage of doctors in the government medical college hospitals in the state.

A recent order of the Medical Education Department has directed 1,250 final-year students to join the respective medical colleges as house surgeons immediately after their exams. However, the students of private medical colleges have been exempted from this duty.

Till now, house surgency started only after the announcement of the final-year MBBS results. (House surgeon is the British term for a doctor who has just passed one's M.B.B S examinations.)

The measure has been taken considering the spread of COVID-19 in the state and as part of the preparations to tackle the likely third wave of the pandemic.

The medical colleges in Kerala are facing a severe shortage of house surgeons as the 2016 batch MBBS students have not been able to start their house surgency so far owing to a delay in the exams. In view of the situation, the house surgency of the 2015 batch was extended by three months. After their term ended, the 2015 batch refused another extension, leading to the shortage.

Meanwhile, the situation worsened as the First-Year and Final-Year post graduate residents are currently not deployed for duty.