Ordinance to make one year rural service mandatory for doctors

Bangalore: The Karnataka government would promulgate an ordinance to make it mandatory for MBBS undergraduates and post-graduates to serve one year in rural areas immediately after successful completion of the course.

In the Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister DV Sadananda Gowda accepted the suggestion of Dr Sharanaprakash Rudrappa Patil (Congress), who highlighted the issue of shortage of doctors in Mudhol community health centre in Sedam taluk and the number of vacant posts.

"We will promulgate the ordinance after the session (which concludes on March 30)", Mr Gowda said as he acknowledged that doctors don't like to work in rural and backward areas, adding the problem would be solved once the one year rural service is made mandatory.

In last week's budget speech, the Chief Minister,who holds the Finance portfolio, said a legislation would be enacted on making rural service mandatory but agreed to promulgate an ordinance after Mr Patil suggested quick action and enable its implementation from the coming academic year itself.

Mr Gowda, in the budget, had said that MBBS undergraduates and postgraduates would be made eligible for permanent registration with Karnataka Medical Council only after they serve one year in rural areas.

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The government also proposed to hike penalty rates for MBBS and post-graduate doctors who avail concessional seats in Government colleges and Government seats in private colleges but opt not to serve the Government after successful completion of the course as stipulated in the relevant rules.

Meanwhile, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Vishweshwara Hegde Kageri said the Government would be implementing the Right to Education Act in 2012-13.

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