Coronavirus | Medical colleges may open by December 1, says Health Ministry

The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday directed the States and Union Territories to initiate necessary steps for the reopening of medical colleges on or before December 1, while following COVID-19 reopening guidelines issued by the competent authorities in the respective Central/ State/ UT governments. The Health Ministry has obtained concurrence for this from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

In its letter the Ministry said: “The states/ UTs may take necessary steps to open the medical colleges on or before 1st December 2020. Needless to say, all the SOPs/ Guidelines with respect to social distancing and prevention of the spread of epidemic issues by central/state/ UT Governments will be formed scrupulously by all the colleges.” The communication comes following recommendations from the National Medical Commission.

A letter from NMC also mentions restarting the facilities for both out-patient and in-patient management of non-COVID-19 patients. “The Commission also noted that hospitals attached to teaching hospitals have been converted to complete COVID hospitals in several states. However, with the opening of the medical colleges and to facilitate UG training, all medical colleges and affiliated hospitals would need to have a sufficient number of beds for non-Covid patients and hence facilities for both outpatients and inpatients management for non-Covid patients must be restarted, if not already done,” the letter read.