In view of the dire need for medical professionals in COVID-19 hospitals, the state government does not want the resident doctors to write their final year PG examination next month. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has dashed off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to postpone the exam to December 2020, saying that the residents' absence would lead to a serious shortage of trained doctors.

"The final year (senior resident-3) doctors, who are required to take the examination, are currently working in all government and municipal medical colleges assisting in the clinical management of COVID-19 patients. If this examination is held as per schedule, there will be a serious shortage of trained doctors," the CM said. The CMO's Twitter handle posted the letter late Wednesday night, strangely a week after it was written and sent to the PMO. The CM also wants the entrance examinations for super speciality courses — DM/MCh — postponed. The final year MD (Doctor of Medicine) and MS (Master of Surgery) students have been put into service in government and civic hospitals. A final year MD/MS student, also known as Resident-3, is considered to be a backbone of public hospitals because she/he not only manages patients but also leads a team of junior residents and fresh graduates. In view of the pandemic, the residents of non-clinical courses have also been involved in COVID-19 management.