Nov 24: As the government continues to look the other way, the three-day old strike by resident doctors has already taken its first mass casualty: about 1,000 final year MBBS students, who were to begin their practical examination in Gynaecology today, will have to take the exam on November 30 as there is a dearth of examiners to man the seven designated centres. Senior medical teachers, who double as examiners, have been posted at various public hospitals as an emergency measure in the absence of resident doctors who have been agitating for higher pay scales since Monday.The Gynaecology exam, the last in a series of six practical examinations underway since the beginning of November, was to be held simultaneously at seven centres from today. However, only 500-odd students will begin the exam at three centres, with the remaining 1,000-odd students taking the exam between November 30 and December 4.
As per a communication from the University of Mumbai, the exam will be held from today at G S Seth Medical College, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College and K J Somaiya Medical College. The remaining four centres -- Grant Medical College, Topiwala National Medical College, D Y Patil Medical College, Rajiv Gandhi Medical College and Mahatma Gandhi Medical College -- will begin the practical exam a week later.
Dr A C Mohanty, dean of Grant Medical College affiliated to the government-run JJ Hospital, explained that four senior teachers are deputed as examiners per centre -- two stay back in the hospital affiliated to the medical college and function as internal examiners while two others are deputed to the centre itself. Holding the exam simultaneously at all seven centres would mean fewer teachers to attend on patients in need of emergency care. These are the only cases being admitted to public hospitals since the agitation began. Asked whether splitting the exam schedule would further upset the already stressed-out final year students, he shrugged. ``A few days will make no difference,'' according to Dr Mohanty.
The students, however, feel otherwise. At the Grant Medical College, final year students were playing cricket in the hostel passage to ``beat the stress''. One of them Atul Avhad, told Express Newsline that they were looking forward to completing their exams and going on vacation. Now our plans will have to be postponed apart from anxiety levels remaining high for longer than usual.
Final year MBBS students have been putting their nose to the grind since the last four to five months as the practical exams involve a case presentation, diagnosis and treatment and the use of various surgical instruments. Each practical exam carries 100 marks.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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