Compulsory Rural service for KMC doctors

The candidates completing undergraduate and postgraduate medical courses this year may have to serve in rural areas to get a permanent registration from Karnataka Medical Council (KMC), if Medical Education Minister A S Ramdas has his way.

Replying to a question by Ramanath Rai (Cong) in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, Ramdas said the draft bill seeking to make one-year rural service compulsory for MBBS and postgraduate medical doctors will be tabled in the ongoing Assembly session.

“If the legislation is enacted, 3,000 MBBS and 1,110 post-graduate doctors will have to work in rural areas. This will help overcome shortage of doctors in government hospitals in rural areas,” the minister said. The rural service is made on a precondition to obtain permanent registration as practising doctors from the Karnataka Medical Council.

Besides, in view of acute shortage of doctors to serve in rural areas, the Medical Council of India (MCI) has been planning to extend the duration of MBBS course to six-and-half years from the present five-and-half years with effect from 2013-14. The proposed move is intended to introduce one-year rural posting, which would be linked to the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).source:http://www.deccanherald.com/content/266923/rural-service-docs-linked-kmc.html