Centre proposes to reserve half the seats in PG courses for MBBS graduates who are working in government hospitals and are also willing to sign a three-year bond after degree
The proposal is a way for the govt to push doctors to serve in rural and remote areas. Pic for representation
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Medical students already spend the better part of their prime years in preparation to become doctors and, now, the process is set to get even harder and longer. The central government has proposed that 50 per cent of the seats in postgraduate medical courses be reserved for MBBS graduates who are serving in government hospitals. In addition, these candidates will have to sign a bond to serve the government for another three years after completing the PG course.
Students and parents have objected to this proposal, saying it will discourage many from joining the medical profession. Even as the Union government has invited suggestions and objections, an online petition was started on Tuesday to oppose the proposal. The petition has gathered 500 signatures in the last two days.
Seats are scarce
The petition states, ‘PG medical seats are already few in number. Reservation of 50 per cent for those serving government hospitals will make it worse. Even though it is true that there are very few medical officers serving in remote areas, no one can make any doctor work there by force. Such compulsion would rather drive doctors away from service.’
The petition raises another point: ‘The government medical facilities in remote areas always work as primary health care centres. Making highly skilled, specialist doctors work there would be gross wastage of their skills.’
Limiting careers
The petition was started by Dr Vishwas Phadke, from the Association of Parents of Medical Aspirants, who said, “Already there are few seats for PG and this reservation is going to worsen the situation. A candidate is around 24 years old when he or she finishes MBBS. This leads to a year of internship and then the admission to PG. If the candidate has to serve the government after PG too, it is going limit the person’s career to a great extent.”
“The candidate would be well over 30 years when he finally would finish the bond. Other field candidates are already on much senior positions by then,” he added.
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