CHENNAI: The Medical Council of India has proposed to modify the postgraduate medical admission rules making doctors serving in government hospitals in rural areas also eligible for incentive marks.
Currently, doctors serving only in government hospitals in “remote and difficult” areas are eligible for incentive marks, in addition to their National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) score, during PG admissions.
The council’s proposal is expected to bring relief to Tamil Nadu government, which is already making efforts to ensure that a large chunk of the government doctors are eligible for the incentive marks and thus manage to secure PG seats.The Postgraduate Medical Education Committee of the council has proposed to amend the PG Medical Education Regulations, 2000 to include “rural areas” also in the clause which makes government doctors there avail themselves of incentive marks based on the number of years of service.
“The council has approved the proposal of PG Medical Education committee and sent to the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry for their concurrence. It will be notified after their consent. We are expecting a positive reply soon,” a Medical Council of India official told Express.Recently, the Umanath committee report redefined “remote and difficult” areas as per which 16 districts in the State would fall under the category.
It is learnt that the State government is planning to further expand the areas. “Government is working on to include more areas (under the remote and difficult category) so that many service doctors will be benefitted,” said a senior health department official.However, the association representing government doctors are still demanding restoration of 50 per cent exclusive quota for them in PG seats. “50 per cent reservation is important for our State. It ensures compartmental reservation for service doctors. Next week we are planning for a protest in Delhi,” said K Kathirvel, secretary, Tamil Nadu Medical Officers Association.
He said this is important to ensure the government hospitals attract doctors and hence the State’s public health care system is sustained.It is also learnt that the State’s health department, All India Federation of Government Doctors’ Association and Tamil Nadu Medical Officers Association gave representations to the Medical Council of India and Union Health ministry to restore 50 per cent reservation for service doctors in PG courses.This is expected to be discussed in the PG Medical Education Committee meeting scheduled for March 20.