PG doctors oppose one-year rural service

Postgraduate doctors in the state are contemplating to fight it out with the government regarding the one-year compulsory rural service to be implemented from next month.

The state government had already notified the dates of counselling for rural postings for doctors with postgraduate degree, diploma or super speciality qualification.

The counselling will take place in from July 29 to 31 at Vijayawada.

It will be held under the supervision of NTR University of Health Sciences and will be based on postgraduate theory marks. The candidates will have to report for duty by August 8.

Following the notification, postgraduate doctors under the aegis of Andhra Pradesh Junior Doctors Association (APJUDA) are busy holding meetings to chalk out their course of action.

The proposal for the compulsory rural service was made in 2010 and after a series of talks, the candidate were asked to abide by the rule in January 2012, without proper guidelines.

The doctors went on strike, following which they were called for a meeting and a committee was formed to frame guidelines.

“We are not against working in rural areas. As doctors, we are duty bound. But there are several lacunae in the GO 107, which made rural service compulsory. The guidelines framed were not proper,” said Dr Abhilash, former president of APJUDA.

Speaking to Express, he said what the government is offering is only temporary government service and the doctors will not be given any advantage for being public servants. “Now, what we want is a permanent appointment as government doctors.

After one year of rural service, the doctors should be given regular postings. However, the government is reluctant in that regard,” he said.

Most of the PG doctors question the government’s decision to post them in rural areas which do not have necessary infrastructure in place. “How would you expect us to perform our duties without infrastructure and personnel in place. We can not be asked to do the work which an MBBS doctor could do,” says a PG doctor.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com