Relief: Govt shortens bond service tenure in Kerala

Thiruvanathapuram: The Health Department has granted relief to Postgraduate medical students by revising their tenure of compulsory bond service. Those doctors who complete super specialty courses from self-financing colleges, as senior residents, on a contract basis, are to be appointed in government medical colleges.

Last year, in December, when the government had announced an increase in the retirement age of doctors in healthcare and medical education sectors, postgraduate medical students, and junior doctors had launched a protest against the government’s decision. The protest had been launched as the doctors felt that this decision would affect their employment prospects in the long run.

They had raised the following demands during the protest organized:

• tenure of bonded service to be shortened.


• Compulsory tenure of bonded and recruitment process be done through the PSC, to increase opportunities for those waiting for placements in government service.

The government had at that time decided to revise the tenure of bonded service in accordance with an agreement reached between the medicos and the health department, leading to the students calling off the strike.The health department in response to the withdrawal of strike had asked all the Medical College, Principals to withdraw disciplinary action taken against those who took part in the strike.

As per the decision reached then, the bond period for service for those who have completed super specialty courses has been shortened to one year, from the earlier tenure of three years.Similarly, the bond service for those who complete postgraduate courses has been shortened to 6 months, instead of the earlier 1-year duration.

Senior residents on a contract basis, after completion of their super specialty courses, will enjoy the chance at position of an assistant professor (provisional), is another new decision taken by the government.

It has been made mandatory to appoint senior residents in every department during inspections carried out by the Medical Council of India, in government medical college. The paucity of senior residents in government medical colleges had led the government to take a decision of appointing self-financing college pass outs, as senior residents.The appointments are to be contractual in nature and are being done to ensure that senior residents are available on a permanent basis in government hospitals. If this is ensured, then compulsory bonded service can be put to an end, stated a health department official reported the TOI.

However, if the paucity of senior residents persists in Government institutions then the government will continue with the compulsory bond service.