Thaindian News

New Delhi, Aug 29 (IANS) Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad Monday expressed regret that despite offering several incentives young doctors are not willing to serve in rural areas.

Replying to a debate in the Rajya Sabha on the bill to extend the term of governing body of Medical Council of India by a year, Azad said he was ‘disheartened’ to see that doctors were not interested in serving in rural areas.

“When I go to convocation and give degrees to medical graduates from different states, I ask where will you go, what are your future plans…. 99.9 percent say Delhi. I am disheartened with this attitude that people don’t go back to their state,” Azad said.

The health minister said “at present if a person practices for one year in a rural area he will get 10 percent extra marks, for serving two years, it will be 20 percent and for three years, 30 percent in the entrance exam for post graduate courses”.

The minister added that for serving doctors, 50 percent seats were reserved in post graduate diploma courses after they serve in rural area for three years.

“As the health minister I can make policies and the state government has to implement… and put some kind of genes in doctors to change them, otherwise I can not do anything,” the disappointed minister said.

The house later passed the bill to extend the term of the governing body of Medical Council of India for another year.

The government had superseded the MCI, a statutory body, in May last year following allegations of large-scale corruption against its then president and other officials by issuing an ordinance. The ordinance was replaced by the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Act, 2010.

As per provisions of the Act, the council had to be reconstituted within a period of one year from the date of its supercession and the government had appointed a Board of Governors for a period of one year.