Coming Soon: 50 percent quota in PG courses for doctors working in remote areas

In a bid to encourage government doctors to serve in remote areas, the government plans to provide them with reservation in PG courses, the Lok Sabha was informed.

Minister of State for Health Faggan Singh Kulaste said during Question Hour that the government proposes to bring the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill to ensure that 50 per cent of the seats in post graduate courses in government colleges are reserved by states for medical officers in government services who have served "at least three years in remote and difficult areas".

The bill proposes that after completing the PG course, the medical officers could once again be asked to serve another three-year term in a difficult area.

Kulaste also said the WHO country office has clarified that there has been no report in the recent past which stated that 70 per cent of rural population in the country has minimal access to healthcare in the country.