MCI to clear air on medicos rural stint

Hyderabad: The general body meeting of the Medical Council of India (MCI), which is scheduled to be held in March, is likely to take the final call on the issue of compulsory one-year posting in rural areas for MBBS students.

It may be mentioned here that the original proposal of the MCI to amend the Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations which makes one year rural posting at a Public Health Centre (PHC) mandatory for MBBS students to become eligible to apply for admission into PG course has not yet been notified.

Though the rural service issue had led to a lot of heat and dust in States including Telangana, there is no national policy on the same so far. Some members of MCI feel that the Union Health Ministry should have to rethink about the proposal that was mooted during the UPA regime and announce a uniform policy for all the States.

They point out that even in the NDA government there is differences of opinion as Health Minister JP Nadda is not in favour of rural service being made compulsory while his predecessor Harshavardhan had advocated six months service in rural PHCs and another six months in a tertiary hospital.

Speaking to The Hans India, Dr Ramesh Reddy, member, MCI, said the only way out was to frame a national policy on mandatory rural service. “The Union Health Ministry shall conduct a national workshop on the issue with experts and come to a conclusion. If the draft version of the policy is sent to the MCI, the council can deliberate and give its suggestion to the Health Ministry on finalising the policy,” he said.

Dr Reddy said one year mandatory service after the completion of MBBS could be made flexible, by incorporating a rule that MBBS graduates who qualified for PG medical course, could be allowed to finish their rural service after completion of their PG course. This norm was included in a GO issued in undivided Andhra Pradesh, he said.

According to Dr Reddy, mandatory rural service norm presents some practical problems. There are about 1,800 PHCs in the States of AP and Telangana and the number of medical graduates passing out from medical colleges in the two States is 6,000. “When this is the scenario, how can 6,000 medical graduates be accommodated in 1,800-odd PHCs?” he questioned.

Another important issue in the one year rural service norm is whether it shall be made part of the 3-year PG medical courses or not. As per MCI norms, PG medical courses are for three years. If one year rural service has to be rescinded in future, it makes the PG course, a two-year programme, which is against international norms.

Speaking from the medical graduates’ side, president of AP Junior Doctors’ Association (APJUDA), Dr Kranti said the medical graduates are not ready to accept if the MCI comes out with a proposal that one year mandatory service shall be in addition to the present one-year internship (house surgeon)”.

By: C Ananda Kumar Reddy