Days before first-year undergraduate medical and dental batches across state institutes were scheduled to start physical classes, authorities of the Government Medical College (GMC) Nagpur announced their decision to continue online classes for the first-year batch instead of onsite classes in view of increasing Covid-19 cases in Nagpur city.
“The present Covid-19 scenario in Nagpur is not very stable as Covid-19 cases are being admitted in government institutions. It is not feasible and safe to conduct onsite theory classes for first-year MBBS [Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery] students, especially after positive cases were revealed in some institutes in the city recently,” stated a letter addressed to the National Medical Commission (NMC) by the management of GMC Nagpur.
The management of GMC Nagpur is now planning a combination of online and onsite classes for the first-year batch. Onsite classes are being considered only for practical which is a minor part of the first-year medical course.
“Looking at the present scenario, as a precautionary measure, it has been decided to conduct online theory classes and offline small group practical classes for the time being for first-year MBBS batch beginning from February 2, 2021,” stated a circular released by the institute.
Earlier this month, in a circular, the Directorate General of Health Sciences (DGHS) clarified that classes for super speciality courses including Doctor of Medicine (DM), Master of General Surgery as well as Diplomate of National Board will begin from January 19.
Similarly, first-year MBBS and Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) courses should start their academic session from February 2.
The delay in starting the classes was keeping in mind the delay in BDS admissions that will take place till January 31 this year.
The scenario in Mumbai, however, remains unchanged for most medical institutes. Varsha Phadke, dean of KJ Somaiya Medical College, said, “Our classes will begin on schedule on February 2 in the offline mode. Proper arrangements have been made to ensure safety of staff and students.”
Several institutes in Mumbai and Pune plan to insist on a seven-day compulsory quarantine for their first-year batch before starting classes.
“We might have to opt for online classes for the first week of February while our students remain in hostels for the compulsory quarantine. Once that is over, we plan to start physical classes,” said an official from the admissions office of a Pune-based medical institute.