199 out 200 : The benefits of being an in-service doctor

Jaipur: The provisional merit list issued by the NEET Counselling Board 2017, and the SMS Medical College for Post Graduation Courses shows 199 in-service doctors topping in the top 200 names announced.

The in service doctor performance is based on the High Court's recent decision to grant 10 % marks weight age for every year served by them in Hilly/Desert/Tribal areas (difficult areas) and 3 or more years in other rural areas (remote areas).

Dejection seemed to have been written large on faces of medicos who haven't served in these regions and others who are freshers and have not worked in government hospitals. All of them are way behind in the merit list that ensures them branches of their choice like -radiology, paediatrics and other clinical branches in demand.

Counselling for those part of the announced list, will be held soon. As is apparent from the 10% marks weight age ruling stated above, all of the 199 top position holders have secured incentive marks for working in rural and difficult areas. They have finally been rewarded for the service they have rendered to patients in rural and difficult areas, after completion of their MBBS .

The provisional state merit list (combined) PG medical candidates was issued on April 8.

The disappointment in the medicos came across clear in what they had to say about the announced result. TPO reports about Anurag Sharma holding the 126^th rank in NEET, after marks weight age found himself on the 137^th plank in the provisional list, declared for post graduation courses. Sharma is a fresher candidate, with no previous government hospital experience in rural or difficult areas. The list shows only one fresher candidate, who has not worked in government hospitals, featuring in the top 200 candidates. Otherwise, all of the 199 have put in 2/3 years of service in rural/ hilly/ difficult areas in government hospitals.

Out of the 275 candidates, who appear in the merit list, only 10 are fresh candidates and all others have worked in some government health facility or the other.

The marks weight age policy by the government comes in the face of doctor shortage in remote areas, reports the TOI.

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