The State government has decided to rope in final-year MBBS and nursing students for treating COVID-19 patients, by giving them grace marks, incentives, and postponing examinations.
With the government finding it difficult to handle the pandemic following crumbling State health infrastructure and shortage of medical personnel, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Saturday chaired a meeting with heads of top corporate hospitals in Bengaluru and decided to take services of final-year students of MBBS, nursing, pharmacy, physiotherapy, AYUSH, dental, and hospital management courses for treating COVID-19 patients.
On a priority, it was decided to vaccinate students before utilising their services in hospitals. Services of doctors, who have graduated in foreign universities, will also be utilised by registering their names in the Karnataka Medical Council, said sources in the Chief Minister’s Office.
A couple of days ago, Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah had suggested to the government on involving final-year medical students under the supervision of experienced doctors.
Following the suggestions from experts in the field of medicine and hospital management, it was decided to set up oxygenated beds by converting hotels as step down COVID-19 hospitals by utilising oxygen concentrators, and transforming centralised oxygenation system beds into ICU beds.
To provide beds to symptomatic patients, all asymptomatic patients would be discharged from hospitals and asked to undergo home isolation by strengthening tele-medicine.
All medical college hostel beds would be upgraded to oxygenated beds. The government has decided to provide financial support to establish oxygen generation plants in private medical colleges.
To prepare for 3rd wave
To check and control a third wave of the pandemic, the meeting decided to constitute an expert committee to provide suggestions to the government.
Other decisions taken at the meeting included conducting audit of Remdesivir, speeding up of vaccinations, increasing incentives to doctors, and meeting expenses by the government in case of doctors involved in treating COVID-19 patients.
Cardiac surgeon Devi Prasad Shetty, M.S. Ramaiah Hospital chairman M.R. Jayaram, Deputy Chief Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan, Health Minister K. Sudhakar, and senior officials attended the round-table meeting.
