Kottayam: There will be a shortage of doctors in Kerala next year if the MBBS classes are not resumed in medical colleges by limiting COVID treatment, the Health University has informed the state government.
It has recommended that only the treatment of critically ill patients be transferred to medical colleges and that the treatment of others who are COVID positive should be done at other government hospitals.
About 3,500 MBBS students complete their studies in a year from the 30 medical colleges in the state. These students will not be able to complete the course next year if practical classes to be conducted at the medical college hospitals are not resumed now. This will lead to a shortage of doctors, the university has said.
As soon as COVID began to spread in March, the medical colleges and their hostels in the state were taken over for providing treatment to those infected with the coronavirus. The students then resumed their studies online from their homes. Now, the theory classes have been completed online. But, the practical classes that require students to see and treat patients in hospitals, have been suspended since March.
Only PG and MBBS House Surgency students are currently serving in the medical colleges. Of these, 1,000 PG students have completed their studies and they will soon be available for service in hospitals. The Health University has suggested that the study of MBBS students can be arranged the same way.
MBBS studies can be resumed by limiting the COVID treatment being provided at medical college hospitals. In addition, 1,400 students who failed the exams in different years of their studies are waiting as an additional batch. According to the Health University, they will be able to complete their exams and studies within a month-and-a-half.
The university's warning about shortage of doctors comes amid the decision of as many as 868 junior doctors serving at the COVID First-Line Treatment Centres (CFLTCs) in the state to resign from September 10 in protest against the 20 per cent cut in their remuneration announced by the state government.
