Over 350 doctors skipped mandatory rural service

More than 350 doctors who passed out of state-run medical colleges did not serve in rural areas as per the bond they had to sign at the time of admission, the Gujarat government informed the legislative Assembly on Monday.

Medical students in government-run colleges have to sign a bond promising to serve in rural areas for a year after completing their studies.

Doctors can break the bond by paying Rs 20 lakh to the state government after finishing their MBBS course and Rs 40 lakh after completing their post-graduation, state Health Minister Rushikesh Patel said while responding to a set of questions by Congress MLAs during Question Hour.

As on December 31, 2022, the state government is yet to recover Rs 18.25 crore from 359 doctors who had broken the bond and refused to serve in rural areas, he said.

He further informed the House that the state government has recovered Rs 139 crore from such doctors in the last three years and legal steps were also initiated against them.

To prevent fresh medical graduates from starting private practice, the state government does not issue required clearances and certificates until they pay the bond money, Patel said.

“Without the clearance, they cannot start private service. But we have seen that most of the MBBS students, who skip rural service, start preparing for NEET to get admission into PG courses. If they get admission to PG courses, they are again required to sign another bond of Rs 40 lakh, promising to serve for a year in rural areas,” the minister said.

Thus, after completion of MBBS and PG from government-run colleges, doctors will be required to either serve for two years in rural areas or pay Rs 60 lakh as per the bond agreement, he said.

“To encourage PG doctors to serve in our hospitals, we have decided to change this rule of two years of rural service. Now, PG doctors will be exempted from paying Rs 60 lakh if they serve for one-and-a-half years in villages instead of two years,” Patel said. PTI