Punjab govt mulls mandatory rural service for specialists

Balwant Garg

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Faridkot, April 14

To improve facilities in government hospitals in rural and semi-rural areas, the Health Department is planning to strictly implement its mandatory service rule for specialist doctors.

According to the rules, it is mandatory for all about 650 MD/MS doctors, graduating every year from the government and private medical colleges in the state, to render services to the state government.

Since most of these doctors are not offered a job within six months of completion of the MD/MS courses, almost 90 per cent doctors do not render services to the government.

As per the Medical Education Department rules, all doctors who are not employees of the state government and fresh candidates in the MD/MS courses have to submit an indemnity bond of Rs 15 lakh to serve the state government for two years after the completion of their courses. These doctors take admission on about 450 state quota seats.

The execution of the bond at the time of admission to post-graduate courses and super-speciality courses is compulsory.

This clause is not applicable in case the offer is not given by the state government within six months of passing the course. All-India quota candidates submit a bond of Rs 10 lakh to serve the state for one year after the completion of their degree. There are about 190 such seats.

To ensure that maximum of these medical specialists render their services to the state government for one to two years, the department is planning to ensure that every doctor is offered a job within six months of his/her passing the course.

Leave aside the hospitals in rural areas, even government hospitals in urban areas face a problem in getting specialists in MD (Radiology), MD (Medicine) and MS (Orthopaedics). Most of these doctors prefer to work in private clinics or hospitals.

Indemnity bond

As per the Medical Education Department rules, all doctors who are not employees of the state government and fresh candidates in the MD/MS courses have to submit an indemnity bond of Rs. 15 lakh to serve the state government for two years after the completion of their courses.