No mandatory service in govt hospitals, no degree for doctors

Ahmedabad, 24 November 2014

To improve the medical services in the state government owned hospitals and rural health centers (Public Health Centers and Community Health Centers) now the state health & family welfare department has decided not to give the degree certificates to the new doctors who passes degree or master degree from the government medical colleges till they serve for the required period in the government hospitals.

Students those who passes the degree and master degree courses from the government funded medical colleges are liable to serve in the government run health facilities minimum for two years or pay Rs.10 lakh to Rs.50 lakh bond money but many students escapes from doing so and the state government has to compromise the public interest.

Number of students from other states who takes admission in Gujarat Government runs medical colleges from the central quota run away to their native states or big cities for lucrative private practices and also do not pay mandatory bond money.

Through an order to all the state run universities the health & family welfare department has ordered to give only provisional certificates to passing out students and not the degrees till they serve for the mandatory period in the government hospitals or pay the full bond money. The state Government has increased the tenure of compulsory service from ”two” to now ”three” years with this order.

At present more than 30% vacancies of doctors in most of the public hospitals are vacant. In rural areas it’s even 100% at some places. In last three years alone the Gujarat Government has recovered hefty Rs.23.5 crore from the doctors who run away after studying on tax payer’s money. The health department has issued notices for recovering more than Rs.8.5 crore to non-responsible doctors.