AP: Government to reduce mandatory rural postings of doctors

Hyderabad: The Telangana Government is planning to reduce medico rural appointments for compulsory rural service from 1200 to 300, as a cost cutting measure. There are about 1,200 PG medical students passing out every year. Instead of appointing all of them for rural service for one year, the government has decided to take only 300 candidates to save expenditure. TOI reports that It costs the government Rs 100 crore a year to pay their stipends.

By reducing the number of appointments, it plans to bring down the financial burden on the state exchequer. Presently , all the doctors, who have completed their PG and PG diploma courses, are posted in government hospitals across the state including Gandhi and Osmania in Hyderabad.

Most post graduate medical practitioners dodge serving in the rural areas by using their power and influence and getting urban postings, instead.

"There is no meaning in appointing them for one year, as they don't want to work in rural areas," said a top official. Last year, nearly 1,200 PG appointments were made in government hospitals, to meet the compulsory rural service rule. Each of them was paid a monthly stipend between Rs 38,000 and Rs 45,000.

Officials have estimated that Medical Council of India (MCI) norms call for 300 senior resident doctor appointments for quota maintenance of PG medical seats.

According to the stipulated guidelines of the MCI, there should be four resident doctors for one professor, one associate professor and two assistant professors; as they constitute a unit. Based on these units, the MCI decides on PG seats in medical colleges. "We need 300 seats to ensure that the PG medical quota is maintained," said Vice-Chancellor, Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences. Dr Karunakar Reddy.

Officials state, compulsory rural service was made compulsory by the state government in undivided AP. "This is only a state government rule. We can change it," officials said. They said only those candidates willing to work in rural areas should be appointed under compulsory service. "The government should fill up 250 vacant posts of assistant professors. We will welcome any decision to do way with compulsory service," G Sriniavas, Advisor, Telangana Junior Doctors' Association told the TOI.