A mandatory year long rural posting for doctors
A mandatory year long rural posting for doctors before postgraduate programmes is fair and practical
For all MBBS Doctors who are aspiring for post graduate program, it’s mandatory for them to attend a yearlong rural posting.
For:
- The medical facilities in the rural areas is at a very debauched stage with acute shortage of general physicians as well as specialist, as none of the doctors want to be posted in rural areas. But with this provision, there would be some kind of improvement in the medical facilities in the rural areas
- Extra compensation, good housing facilities and paid refresher courses and training would persuade them to be posted in rural areas
- The health centres should be well equipped and operational to motivate the doctors to go there
- The compulsion rural posting will be beneficial for the rural people, where they hardly get to see doctors
Against:
- The infrastructure in rural hospitals is pitiable and with diminutive pay and little incentives, the doctors are reluctant to be posted there
- Doctors refuse to be posted as they are refrained from lucrative postings and are lured by incentives that only middle class and the affluent can afford
- Laxity of proper investigation labs as well as lab assistants
- Lack of safety measure for female doctors in rural areas
Conclusion:
- The rural posting should be put into practice as it would benefit the rural people as well. The choice of location should be on the discretion of the students
- Safety measures should be applied for female doctors
- The labs and the medical facilities should be up-to-date
Discussion
- RE: A mandatory year long rural posting for doctors -Rishika Jalan (04/22/14)
- I believe that this is a great step towards the betterment of the rural regions of our country. A mandatory year long rural posting for doctors before completing their post graduate programs is a decision which would benefit both the rural people as well as the aspiring doctors. Knowing the condition of our country, majority doctors refuse to work in rural areas as there is a severe lack of amenities. No proper medical lab or infrastructure is available for them to operate and work. To make this situation better if the doctors are compulsory posted for a year in these rural areas then it would greatly enhance the living and medical conditions of the rural people. The aspiring doctors would also get to learn a lot from their seniors who would be mentoring them all the time. The government should take care of the needs and requirements. Proper living and housing accommodation should be provided to the doctors, their remuneration should be hiked up and adequate hygiene and medical equipments should be made available. By doing so it’s a win-win situation for both the sides.
- RE: A mandatory year long rural posting for doctors -Rajani Sharma (01/18/14)
- For
• One year posting in rural areas for doctors should be made mandatory as there are hardly 2,000 PHCs with any doctors in rural areas.
• Rural population will be benefited very much by this step of government.
• Doctors’ unwillingness to work in rural areas is leading to people queuing up in city hospitals.
• In order to improve the medical facilities in rural areas, doctors especially general physicians as well as specialists are required to be posted in these areas.
• In order to make such postings mandatory, government should take care of their salaries, should provide good housing facilities and other benefits.
• The health centres in the rural areas should be well equipped and operational so that doctors are willing to do there.
Against
• Such step will stop students from pursuing higher specialization in India and in turn will cause dearth of specialists in the country.
• Instead of sending MBBS doctors, post graduates should be sent to rural areas as the MBBS doctors cannot do much without senior doctors and proper facilities.
• In rural areas there are no medicines, no support staff, no manpower, no electricity, no water, no laboratory and no basic diagnostic facilities. There is no point of sending doctors in rural areas as they won’t be able to work without these facilities.
• Before sending the doctors in rural areas for one year, the government should improve healthcare in rural areas.
• In rural areas there is no security which is the major concern of the doctors.
• Rural posting should be voluntary and should not be made mandatory.
