No candidate shall be exempted from the service in the government hospitals for the stipulated one year term, states the government.
Principal Secretary to government (Health Medical & Family Welfare) K Ratna Kishore, on Tuesday, stated that the government has made one year of rural service compulsory for all non-service candidates after the completion of the PG course, in order to meet the shortage of doctors in rural areas.
Talking to media persons at the state Secretariat, Kishore said, "All the PG students, both degree and diploma, shall render a compulsory government service by working in the public sector hospitals as Senior Residents for a period of one year after the successful completion of their academic program."
He said that the government would pay a honorarium of Rs. 20,000 for a PG diploma, and Rs. 23,000 for degree candidates, during the government service.
"No candidate shall be exempted from the service in the government hospitals for the stipulated one year term," he said.
Stating that doctors had signed an undertaking, when they were admitted in 2011, to serve the state government by working in public sector hospitals as senior residents for a period of one year after their PG course, he said that violations would cost Diploma holders Rs. 15 lakh and PGs Rs 20 lakh.
He stated that governments in neighbouring states have already been implementing this rule for 10 years now to improve health facilities in rural areas.
Stating that couples would be allowed to serve in the same place, he said that maternity leave would be allowed within the 18-month period. On the honorarium issue, he said that the government would examine 10% less than the basic salary drawn by specialists plus a PG allowance as allowed for regular specialists.
Responding to a query on the shortage of infrastructure in the rural areas, Kishore assured the doctors that the government would meet them in the next one month.
Regarding the demand for security at hospitals, he said that the government was looking into the issue "carefully". He said that the government must spend Rs. 60,000 per month on round-the-clock security at hospitals.
Ratna Kishore appealed to striking junior doctors to call off their agitation as, he said, the government was considering all their demands favourably. Stating that the government has the power to impose ESMA on striking doctors, he, however, said that it would not resort to such a drastic step, but would solve their demands as per the existing laws. (INN)