The Health Ministry has approved a new category for selection and nomination of candidates from ‘Wards of COVID Warriors’ under Central pool MBBS/BDS seats for the academic year 2020-21.
Five Central pool MBBS seats have been reserved for this category for the year 2020-21, said a release issued by the Ministry.
Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan on Thursday announced the government’s decision to introduce a new category called ‘Wards of COVID Warriors’ in the guidelines for selection and nomination of candidates against Central pool MBBS seats for 2020-21.
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He said that this move aimed to dignify and honour the noble contribution made by the COVID warriors in treatment and management of COVID-19 patients.
The Minister added that the State/Union Territory governments will certify the eligibility for this category. “The selection of candidates will be made by the Medical Council Committee (MCC) through online application on the basis of the rank obtained in NEET-2020 conducted by National Testing Agency,” said the Ministry.
Central pool MBBS seats may be allocated for selection and nomination of the candidates from among the wards of COVID warriors who lost their lives due to COVID-19 or died accidentally while on COVID-19-related duty.
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COVID warriors are all public healthcare providers including community health workers, who may have to be in direct contact and care of COVID-19 patients and who may be at risk of being impacted by this.
Private hospital staff and retired/volunteer/local urban bodies/contracted/ daily wage/ad hoc/outsourced staff requisitioned by States/ Central hospitals/autonomous hospitals of Central/States/UTs, AIIMS and Institutes of National Importance/hospitals of Central Ministries drafted for COVID-19-related responsibilities are all included, the Ministry said.
