Medicos protest against compulsory rural service

It is stated in view of the news published in Times Of India dated 23.11.07, Rajasthan Patrika 14.11.07 & statement made in press release by Dr. A. Ramadoss (Central Health Minister) displayed on 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5Tzix44xJg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIgRfFjohPs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VUYAAfkBBo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOIk3d2-W0c

regarding the compulsory 1 year rural posting for all M.B.B.S students who are completing their one year Rotatory Internship by March 2008, it is highly objectionable on part of us for the following reasons:

1.      How is it dictatorship??

The recent decision was not informed to us at time of our admission & is no where mentioned in the prospectus & M.C.I rules & regulations for m.b.b.s curriculum PUBLISHED IN PART III, SECTION 4 OF THE GAZETTE OF INDIA DATED 17^TH MAY 1997. http://www.mciindia.org/know/rules/rules_mbbs.htm 

2.      Mind that we are not against rural service!!

What we demand is  that the rural service should be accommodated in the normal 5.5 years academic schedule, otherwise it will  make  the  duration  of  the  course  too lengthy  from  5¹/₂  to  6¹/₂ years which is  also not justified as per the task force report on N.R.H.M, available on http://mohfw.nic.in/NRHM/Documents/Task_Group_Medical_Education.pdf 

3.      The main problems for the girls!!

The course will be too lengthy particularly for Girls students to enable them to carry on their post graduation & also it will be very unfair for them to get posted in tribal hilly rural areas. 

4.      How people are being cheated??

WHO has recommended a G.D.P ( Gross Domestic Product) of 5% to our country, but our ministry spends a mere 0.9% .and 85% of the health infra structure is in the hands of the private and only 15% with the govt. which should have been 50%. The total health expenditure in India is 5.6% of g.d.p in which only 0.9% is spent by the govt. the remaining 4.6% is spent from the common man’s pocket. Now the question arises why should the govt. say right to health if one has to spend all the money from himself. ANBUMANI is planning to reduce this furthermore by sending us to the community health centre, district hospital & primary health centre 4 months each in the name of compulsory rural service under NRHM & thereby avoiding recruitment (& expenditure) of U.P.S.C & other state conducted P.S.C Examinations selected doctors. Moreover acc. to Ramadoss the stint of one year ‘ll be divided as 4 months each in P.H.C, C.H.C & DISTRICT Hospital. As the district hospitals & C.H.C  are urban & our stay in PHC (rural) will only be 4 months , which is very short for us to get accommodated and thereby we will not be functioning efficiently.        

5.  How doctors are being cheated??

This one year compulsory rural service which is aimed at exploiting young student doctors as a cheap temporary labourers for Rs8000 as a stipend and running the Primary health Centres, C.H.C District Hospital by posting us 4 months each without giving any one a permanent job. Moreover, We will lose our permanent job opportunities because there will be no vacancies in Govt. Hospitals (PHC, CHC etc) because of one year rural posting. Also this unfair decision would make it more difficult for us to clear Pre-PG Examinations which is already very tough. 

6.    WHY IS THIS PROPOSAL A FAILURE??
There is an abject lack of medical infrastructure and facilities in Primary Health Centres in the villages. Only sending inexperienced trainee doctors there will not serve the purpose. This scheme is mere eyewash, only intended to cover up the lacunae in the policies of Govt. 

7.    How it is going to lead brain drain & apathy of students towards medical profession??                                                                                                    Most of the students across the medical colleges in country come from villages and small cities with the dreams of job security, good renumerations and reputed position in society. Increasing the duration of course to 6¹/₂ years will lead to a decline in the number of students wanting to persue this field as a carreer and will switch at the 10+2 level to other lucrative fields paying higher returns (with shorter duration of course in comparison to M.B.B.S) in India and abroad (amounting to brain drain)  

To oppose this proposed bill we, all interns and undergraduate students are going on strike with due support of all our teachers & P.G students & medical fraternity from Monday 26^th November, 2007