West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee is also the state health minister. (File)
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday proposed the introduction of a diploma course in medicine, aiming at combating a "shortfall" of doctors in hospitals in the state.
She asked state health secretary N S Nigam to look into the legal aspects of starting a such a course to train more doctors for primary healthcare units.
"You (Nigam) please find out whether we can start a diploma course for doctors, just like we have for engineers. Several boys and girls will get the opportunity to enroll for the medical course," Ms Banerjee said at a review meeting of 'Utkarsh Bangla' held at the state secretariat here.
The chief minister, who is also the health minister, said the regular MBBS course takes at least five years for one to be a medical graduate, and asserted that the diploma course "would address the shortfall of doctors".
"We get doctors after a training period of five years which is a long time. In all these years, they have to study hard and sit for examinations. Besides, we utilise them as junior doctors across different hospitals while they are still studying.
"Since there has been an increase in the number of seats, hospitals and patients, we can think about developing a diploma course as well. These doctors could be employed at primary healthcare units," she said.
The chief minister also asked the health secretary to constitute a four-member committee to look into her proposal.
She said senior doctors and professors could be engaged to train those who enroll for the diploma course.
A health department source said Ms Banerjee's proposed diploma course could be of three years.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Doctors Forum (WBDF) founder secretary Dr Koushik Sarkar criticised the chief minister's proposal, saying it would disturb the globally followed system.
Dr Sarkar urged the state government to rethink the proposed move with a more "scientific approach".
"The proposal of a three-year diploma course is not at all scientific. I will request the state government to think scientifically," Dr Sarkar told PTI.
Speaking on the issue of "shortfall" of doctors, he said every year, several doctors graduate from government-run as well as private medical colleges in West Bengal, and a proper recruitment process will help in filling up the vacancies and solve the problem.
Ms Banerjee also asked the health secretary to explore whether a law can be framed to elevate senior nurses as "semi-doctors" for training purposes.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)