Hyderabad : Osmania Medical College's convocation move creates flutter

Koti : When the scare of the second wave of Covid 19 is spreading across the country, Osmania Medical College is organising convocation for its 2015 batch on April 3, 2021, at Osmania Medical College Ground. Around 1,200 people are expected on the day including students, their parents and faculty.

The junior doctors organsing in pre-event activities under the name 'Decibel' have raised many eyebrows. When all educational institutions are closed in the State, the OMC is taking advantage of the exemption granted to medical colleges, say observers.

They are baffled by the decision taken by the Director of Medical Education to permit the celebrations. Moreover, though the Government of Telangana has given consent for only 750 people to gather at the event, but the college officials are making arrangements for around 1,200 people including full spread of buffet dinner.

Explaining the situation, Dr Rohit, the president of JUDA, said, "At first place, all our postgraduates and graduates are vaccinated for coronavirus and are following all the safety precautions at the event and only half of the college is going to be there and only one parent per graduate is allowed to attend the convocation too."

"Convocation is a crucial event for students after getting educated for 5 years under one roof. Even we are worried about our lives and we are here to treat and save the health of people.

We will strictly abide by rules and the event would hardly last two hours and no other programmes are scheduled except the award distributions," he added.

However, a section of parents question if the convocation is so important amid Covid surge. Medicos and interns get exposed to patients and around 1,200 congregating at one place causes concern of spread, said K Prasad, father of a medico K Krishna.

It is a thoughtless move to permit the Convocation of such a large gathering even as the government is going about strictly enforcing Covid norms and even shut educational institutes, observed a junior doctor Vamshi.

It is learnt that OMC Principal Shashikala Reddy had objected to sports meet and other events. But she yielded following permission from the DME. She claims that the function would be held with all Covid norms. Usually a week-long event every year, it has been shrunk to 3 days this time.