The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) exam for postgraduate and postdoctoral entrance examination is scheduled to be held on June 11. Several aspirants have been requesting the administration to postpone the exam as it is very tough for them to reach at examination centres because of coronavirus pandemic. On top of that, several of the aspirants are doctors and some of them are even appointed in COVID-19 hospital.
As a frontline soldier, doctors are most exposed to the deadly disease, and appearing in such exams may lead to community spread as it has been proven that the virus can be spread by asymptomatic patients. And some of these aspirants are already in home-quarantine. These doctors ask how can they possibly safely appear for exams right now?
ALSO READ | ‘Converting Superspeciality SRGH To COVID-19 Hospital Strategically Wrong’
Feels like going to the battlefield
“Feeling like literally going to the battlefield while giving AIIMS PG exam!” a doctor wrote on Twitter.
Feeling like literally going to the battlefield while giving AIIMS PG exam!
— DrAK47 (@AnanyaKanojia) June 6, 2020
Moreover, these doctors are made to sign a declaration in AIIMS admit card, in which clause number 3 states that candidate has ‘not been in close contact with COVID-19 patients and clause number 5 states that the candidates will be liable to legal action if they lie/hide information in the declaration.’
“The truth is 70 per cent of the students appearing for the examination are junior doctors, house staff, and interns who are at daily exposure. Either it would eliminate them from giving the examination or it would make them liable for legal action if a superspread takes place,” aspirants said in a release.
According to aspirants, many of them cannot attend the examination because they have been allotted centres in other cities hotel services or public travel/cab services are still not allowed.
https://twitter.com/DeepakK81109679/status/1269351825192431620?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
“Also, students in the containment zone without private vehicles have no way of travelling for examination. Especially in states like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Delhi. There is no public transport available to us. As there’s strict lockdown for the containment zones till June 30,” an aspirant said.
ALSO READ | Where Are Hospital Beds For COVID-19 Patients In Delhi, Mr Kejriwal?
They argue that even developed countries like the UK, the US can postpone exams like USMLE, PLAB. “In fact, every other exam in our own country is postponed until the second phase of unlocking. I don’t understand the problem in conducting exams a month later,” a student said.
Meanwhile, Dr Randeep Guleria, Director, AIIMS, said that the exams have already been postponed and any further delay may cause students to lose the entire session.
The entrance exam for July-August 2020 session was earlier scheduled to be held on June 5.
