First in India: Docs to sign bond for rural service

Gautam Handique, Chandrika Gogoi and 698 others will inadvertently rewrite Indian medical history on Wednesday. They will become the first government doctors appointed on the condition that they will be eligible for post-graduate studies anywhere only after serving in rural areas for at least a year, reports Rahul Karmakar.

Gautam Handique, Chandrika Gogoi and 698 others will inadvertently rewrite Indian medical history on Wednesday.

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They will become the first government doctors appointed on the condition that they will be eligible for post-graduate studies anywhere only after serving in rural areas for at least a year.

It is not the only condition, though.

If any of them opts out of this bridge between MBBS and PG, he or she will have to pay the government Rs 7 lakh at one go.

Health officials calculated that this was the amount the government spent to produce a doctor.

National Rural Health Mission director J.B. Ekka told Hindustan Times that Maharashtra had tried to make doctors serve in the rural areas, but the plan was withdrawn.

“We developed on that idea and came up with the conditional appointment,” Ekka said. “The message has gone home, as is evident from the 1,500 applications received from fresh medical graduates.”

Of these, 700 will be handed appointment letters on Wednesday while the others will be inducted later.