Around 200 interns of Kakatiya Medical College (KMC) working in MGM Hospital have been rendered ineligible to take the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) 2023, an exam for medical PG admissions, scheduled to be held on March 5, owing to the extension of their internship till August by authorities.
As per the eligibility criteria, MBBS students should have completed their internship before appearing for the NEET exam for PG admission. The last date for applying for the test is January 27, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express. For various reasons, including the COVID-19 pandemic, Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS) extended the internship of the MBBS students till August 11.
A final-year MBBS student of the Kakatiya Medical College (KMC), Warangal, P Deekshith, demanded that the university authorities write a letter to the Union government, explaining the circumstances leading to the extension of the internship and seek postponement of NEET PG this year. He further claimed that the university authorities and the state government were responsible for the extension of the internship. "But the future of 3,000 students is in jeopardy," Deekshith lamented, as per the TNIE report.
Health Minister gives assurances
Kakatiya Medical College (KMC) Junior Doctors Association (JUDA) President D Srinath stated that the interns of Osmania, Gandhi, Kakatiya and other private medical colleges submitted a representation to Health Minister T Harish Rao urging him to ensure the postponement of NEET PG so that hundreds of MBBS students in the state would not lose one academic year. The minister, Srinath said, responded positively and assured that the issue would be taken up with the Union government to protect the interests of the students. "We are also using our channels to get the NEET PG postponed," said Srinath.
However, interns are also looking at taking the legal route if the decision taken is not in their interest. "In the event of the efforts of the state government failing in getting the test postponed, we are keeping the option of approaching the court open," said Srinath.
