GUWAHATI, Sept 16: The Asom Government today appointed nearly 800 doctors in a recruitment drive that is expected to revolutionize the region’s rural healthcare sector.
The appointments have been made for a one-year period as part of the government legislation that makes it mandatory for all MBBS graduates to serve for a minimum period of one year in rural health centres.
The young doctors would be getting a monthly fixed salary of Rs 25,000 ( Rs 20,000 as salary and Rs 5,000 to prepare for PG examination which include purchase of study materials) besides free accommodation in their area of posting.
“The MBBS doctors had signed a bond during their admission that they would undergo a year-long compulsory rural posting. The idea of the rural posting is to ensure that each and every panchayat or block has a doctor available,” Asom Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
Earlier, the Government signed a bond making it mandatory for MBBS graduates to work in rural areas for a period of five years, but it was later revised to just a year.
The Government norms were not implemented in the past and even after passing the MBBS course students managed to avoid working in rural areas.
“Any medical graduate flouting the bond will have to pay the State Government a compensation of Rs 5,00,000. This is the estimated amount that the State would have incurred for the education of a single student,” the Health Minister said.
A similar bond would be signed for students aspiring to pursue a postgraduate degree in any of the three medical colleges in the State.
“For those wanting to pursue a postgraduate degree from any of the State’s three medical colleges, one must be prepared to work for the Health Department for a minimum of two years, although it was 10 years in the past,” Sarma said. “We are also trying to do away with the 50 per cent Central Government quota in allocation of PG seats in Asom,” Minister added.
The three medical colleges at Guwahati, Dibrugarh and Silchar produce about 400 MBBS doctors and 150 postgraduates annually. THE SENTINEL
The appointments have been made for a one-year period as part of the government legislation that makes it mandatory for all MBBS graduates to serve for a minimum period of one year in rural health centres.
The young doctors would be getting a monthly fixed salary of Rs 25,000 ( Rs 20,000 as salary and Rs 5,000 to prepare for PG examination which include purchase of study materials) besides free accommodation in their area of posting.
“The MBBS doctors had signed a bond during their admission that they would undergo a year-long compulsory rural posting. The idea of the rural posting is to ensure that each and every panchayat or block has a doctor available,” Asom Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
Earlier, the Government signed a bond making it mandatory for MBBS graduates to work in rural areas for a period of five years, but it was later revised to just a year.
The Government norms were not implemented in the past and even after passing the MBBS course students managed to avoid working in rural areas.
“Any medical graduate flouting the bond will have to pay the State Government a compensation of Rs 5,00,000. This is the estimated amount that the State would have incurred for the education of a single student,” the Health Minister said.
A similar bond would be signed for students aspiring to pursue a postgraduate degree in any of the three medical colleges in the State.
“For those wanting to pursue a postgraduate degree from any of the State’s three medical colleges, one must be prepared to work for the Health Department for a minimum of two years, although it was 10 years in the past,” Sarma said. “We are also trying to do away with the 50 per cent Central Government quota in allocation of PG seats in Asom,” Minister added.
The three medical colleges at Guwahati, Dibrugarh and Silchar produce about 400 MBBS doctors and 150 postgraduates annually. THE SENTINEL
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