Medical and dental colleges in Karnataka to reopen with immediate effect

The Karnataka government on Friday decided to reopen all medical and dental colleges with immediate effect.

"It has been decided to allow reopening of all Medical, Dental, AYUSH and other allied healthcare educational institutions in the state with immediate effect," Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar tweeted on Friday.

Students, faculty members and non-teaching staff should have been vaccinated to attend the colleges, he added.

In an order issued to this effect, Principal Secretary in the Revenue Department N Manjunatha Prasad said the Chairman, State Executive Committee, has permitted the reopening of academic institutions pertaining to Health and Medical sector with immediate effect.

The academic institutions have to strictly adhere to the conditions laid down by the government.

The conditions are that only students, teaching and non-teaching and other staff who have taken at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine will be permitted to attend the colleges and institutions.

The Colleges and Institutions should ensure strict adherence to Covid appropriate behaviour and standard operating procedure and guidelines issued by the department concerned.

Prasad also warned that any person violating these measures will be liable to be proceeded against as per the provisions of Section 51 to 60 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, besides legal action under Section 188 of the IPC, and other legal provisions as applicable.