BHUBANESWAR: In a huge relief to medical students in the State, the Odisha Government has revoked the contentious bond system that mandated compulsory three-year service after graduating from their respective courses.
The Health and Family Welfare Department, in an order on Friday, withdrew the January 11, 2012 resolution which stipulated that students must serve for three years in KBK or tribal areas after completing their medical, dental, paramedic courses in the Government institutions of the State.
Sources said the Health Department did not find the bond system feasible as it failed to retain the doctors in the rural and peripheral centres where vacancy and absenteeism were rampant and hurt the delivery of basic health care.
Incidentally, Odisha was not the only State to have taken to the bond system as many other States also introduced the same to tackle a similar problem. However, apart from legal issues, a strong resistance to this mandatory clause under which students have to sign the bond during application process itself appeared to have forced the State Government to revoke it.
Although a high-level panel was in favour of the bond system, the Department was unwilling to stick to it anticipating litigations.
Under the 2012 system, the Government had come out with the uniform policy for medical students which necessitated signing of the bond or make a refund which was ` five lakh for MBBS students forfeiting the obligation. For PG students, the refund for forfeiture was `10 lakh whereas for super-specialty courses, it was `15 lakh.
Similarly, the refund for GNM and ANM students was ` one lakh and `50,000 respectively in case they dishonoured the bond system. Earlier, the bond system was only for students taking admission under State quota but later, it was extended to cover students under the all India quota which led to strong resentment.
While the State continues to reel under shortage of doctors in the tribal and rural areas, the revocal of the bond execution may lead to a tricky situation. The Government has even tried to tackle the doctor shortage problem by dismissing 408 absentee doctors last year but the stringent measures have failed to make much of an impact.
Healthy Move
The January 11, 2012 resolution stipulated that medical students must serve for 3 years in KBK or tribal areas after completing their courses in Govt institutions
The system had necessitated signing of the bond or make a refund which was ` five lakh for MBBS students forfeiting the obligation
Health Dept did not find the bond system feasible as it failed to retain the doctors in the rural centres
Odisha was not the only State to have taken to the bond system as many other States also introduced the same to tackle a similar problem