Battle-Ready Mode: Odisha Govt To Train MBBS Students For Fight Against COVID-19

Bhubaneswar: To tide over doctor shortage amid coronavirus outbreak, the Odisha government has decided to engage MBBS final-year students in the efforts to contain the infection.

“It has been decided that the 7th, 8th & 9th Semester MBBS students of all medical colleges will be deployed in case need arises,” an order issued by Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy said.

Considering the nature of the disease, they will be made to undergo intensive training in accordance with the available protocol, he said.

Senior IAS officers Anu Garg and Bhupendra Singh Poonia have been assigned this task under which training of government establishments would be taken up in the first phase.

Training for medical community—doctors, paramedics and healthcare worker – to be engaged in the COVID-19 hospitals and isolation wards of various health facilities will also be conducted, the chief secretary said.

There is a need for extreme care and caution as well as professional approach in dealing with the emerging situation, he said.

The doctors and students of private medical colleges will be trained simultaneously, he added.