Centre asks states, UTs to take steps to reopen medical colleges on or before Dec 1

By Sahil Pandey
New Delhi [India], November 25 : The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday directed the States and Union Territories to initiate necessary steps for re-opening of medical colleges on or before December 1, but with adherence to all Covid-19 guidelines.
In a letter to all chief secretaries and administrators of all states and UTs, a senior health ministry official 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."
After the recommendation from the National Medical Commission (NMC), the health Ministry letter which has been accessed by ANI, mentions," The NMC has also given a suggestive schedule of training for different classes that are annexed with their letter. Further, the NMC advised that the sufficient number of non-Covid beds may be made available in medical college hospitals to facilitate undergraduate medical training."
The Union Health Ministry has also obtained concurrence from the Ministry of Home Affairs for reopening of medical colleges in the states and UTs.
An NMC recommendation letter dated November 12 stated that medical colleges across the country must reopen on or before December 1, 2020, for the MBBS students already pursuing their course.
"The delayed new academic session for 2020-21 should commence from 1st February 2021. The new PG session for the academic years 2020-21 should begin from at least 1st July 2021 and there forte the PG NEET exam for the AY 2021-22 would need to be scheduled around March - April 2021," said NMC's recommendation letter
The letter from NMC also mentions restarting the facilities for both outpatients and inpatients management for non-Covid 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 facilitates 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.
NMC requested, "the central government may issue necessary directions to all state governments for reopening of medical colleges and also make available non-COVID beds in the affiliated medical college hospitals to facilitate undergraduate medical training."
"The colleges shall abide with the Covid 19 reopening guidelines issued by the competent authorities in Central/States/UT Governments," it further said.