Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the growing need of adequate human resources for responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country on Monday and took many important decisions to significantly boost availability of medical personnel in Covid duty.

As advised by many medical experts, including eminent cardiologist Dr Devi Shetty, it was also decided to allow deployment of medical interns in Covid management duties under the supervision of their faculty, as part of the nternship rotation.

The services of final year MBBS students was decided to be utilized for providing services like tele-consultation and monitoring of mild Covid cases after due orientation by and under supervision of the faculty. This was expected to reduce the workload on existing doctors engaged in Covid duty, IBNS said quoting officials.

It was also agreed to utilise the services of qualified nurses in full-time Covid nursing duties under the supervision of senior doctors and nurses.

The individuals providing services in Covid management will be given priority in forthcoming regular government recruitments after they complete minimum of 100 days of Covid duty, it was decided. 

The medical students/professionals sought to be engaged in Covid related work will be suitably vaccinated. All health professionals thus engaged will be covered under the insurance scheme of the government for health workers engaged in fighting Covid 19.

All such professionals who sign up for minimum 100 days of Covid duty and complete it successfully will also be given the Prime Minister’s Distinguished Covid National Service Samman from the Government of India.

A special Rs. 15,000 crore Public Health Emergency Support has been provided by the Central Government to ramp up facilities and human resources for Covid management.

Engaging personnel through the National Health Mission, an additional 2206 specialists, 4685 medical officers and 25,593 staff nurses were recruited through this process, officials said.