Extend tenure of junior, senior resident doctors to meet shortage: Delhi Health dept to hospitals

New Delhi, Jun 24 : The Delhi government has directed all state-run hospitals to extend the term of senior resident and junior resident doctors, who are going to complete their tenures, by six months to meet the shortage of doctors in view of the spike in coronavirus cases. "The hospitals can also recruit senior resident and junior resident doctors against the sanctioned vacant posts from those candidates who have already completed their residency tenure as per the central government's residency scheme in case of non-availability of fresh candidates," the health department said in an order.

The national capital has recorded 3,788 fresh coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the tally of the infected people to 70,390. As many as 2,365 people have died of the coronavirus in the city.

"To meet the shortage of resident doctors during the COVID-19 epidemic, all medical superintendents, medical directors, deans and directors of the hospitals under the health department are directed to extend the tenure of presently working junior and senior resident doctors, whose tenure of three years and one year respectively is going to complete soon, for a period of six months," it said.

According to the Delhi government estimates, there could be 5.5 lakh cases by the end of July and hospitals will need at least 80,000 more beds for COVID patients. GVS ANB ANB