‘Medical grads must work in govt hospitals’

The state government plans to become more stringent with regard to medical graduates studying in any of the 14 state medical colleges. Sayli Udas Mankikar reports.

The state government plans to become more stringent with regard to medical graduates studying in any of the 14 state medical colleges. It will make sure the graduates serve in the state’s medical institutions as per a ‘bond’ ranging from 1-2 years or pay fines.

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The state has a current policy in which fresh graduates are asked to sign bonds for serving a specific period in the government hospitals.

Under the scheme, a student willing to breach the bond is required to pay Rs 5 lakh in case of graduation (MBBS). Postgraduates have to pay Rs 50 lakh, while students who super-specialise need to shell out Rs 2 crore.

Most students, however, do not may heed to the scheme and the government has not been stringent in collecting the fines or taking legal action against those who do not pay them.

Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, in the weekly cabinet meet, said he would soon initiate a meeting to decide more stringent norms, which will convince students to take up government jobs.

“We are serious about this issue and will take drastic steps to make sure students who do not serve pay up. We spend almost Rs 35 lakh on every MBBS student and they pay around Rs 2 lakh. All we expect is a year’s service with us, but they refuse to do that,” health minister Suresh Shetty said.

The government is also planning to make bonds compulsory for students who avail of the 50% reserved category to seek admission to private colleges.

“In case of students in the reserved category who go to private hospitals, we pay fees directly to the college, which costs us some lakhs per student. They should repay the government in the form of service for availing the benefit,” Shetty added.