Police used water cannon on the agitating students.
Hundreds of medical students from leading Delhi colleges protested at Jantar Mantar today against the Medical Council of India's decision making one-year rural internship mandatory for admission into post-graduate medical courses.
Police had to use water cannons once to disperse the angry students, who wanted to march to the Nirman Bhavan, the office of the Union Health Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad. Mr Azad, in a directive issued last year, had asked the year-long rural posting be made compulsory to strengthen the government's National Rural Health Scheme.
Doctors however oppose the move, saying the infrastructure at the primary health centres in rural areas is not adequate for them to do their work.
Vishesh Guglani, a medical student, said, "We need basic facilities and adequate security to work. Doctors often become the target of the anger of families."
Dr Anirudh Lochan of the Delhi Medical Association told NDTV, "We are not against rural postings. We are only suggesting that the one year rural internship should be included as a part of our curriculum not at the under-graduate, but perhaps at the post-graduate stage. We are even open to the idea of splitting it into six-month internships, one for undergraduate students and the other for post graduates."
Dr Lochan was part of the delegation that met Health Ministry officials suggesting that the health centres in rural areas should be inspected regularly by an independent panel of doctors.
Karandeep Singh of the Maulana Azad Medical College said, "We spend about 8.5 years studying to be a doctor. Why not include this one year as a part of this instead of us having to spend an additional year on the internship?"
The government has assured the students that their concerns will be considered.