The Maharashtra government has written to the Centre seeking postponement of the examinations of post-graduation students pursuing medical courses in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

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Post-graduation medical students are required to handle COVID-19 and other cases in the state, said the Minister of Public Health and Family Welfare on June 25. Either their examinations should be postponed or those appearing should be declared as having cleared them, he said, adding the state has submitted a resolution in this regard to the Centre. Speaking to reporters, he said, We have requested the Centre to postpone the examinations of post- graduation students of various medical disciplines.

"Most of the exams are in August and they are busy in their preparations. But going by the current crisis, we need these doctors for treating COVID-19 patients as well as routine diseases that surface during the monsoon season." "Hence, we have requested the Centre to postpone their exams or simply declare that they have passed them but deploy them for providing health services, he said.

The students who are appearing for post-graduate examinations have completed their MBBS and so they are useful to the state in the current situation, he said. "We need them urgently. Even if someone is doing internship, we would like it to be postponed and deploy the medical professional in state services, said the health minister. "We would probably be the first state in the country to pass such a resolution and submit it to the Centre," he added.