Not a year more, say medicos

http://www.hindu.com/edu/2007/12/10/stories/2007121050530100.htm

Not a year more, say medicos

MBBS students opposed to the mandatory one-year rural service rule say it takes nearly 11 years for a medical student to become a super-speciality doctor

Photo: R.V. Moorthy

ON THE WARPATH: The decision of the government on compulsory one year rural service is unilateral feel medicos. Mandatory one-year rural service rule for MBBS students has attracted hostile resistance from various quarters of medical education. While sceptics have questioned the professional commitment of doctors in turning down the rural service rule, the medical fraternity as whole has been quite unequivocal in brushing aside the move.

The central point around which the whole argument, against the issue, revolves is the fear that students would now have to pursue degree for one more year. The argument gets bolstered by the fact that it takes 11years for a medical student to become a super-speciality doctor. Needless to say, by this time, his counterparts in other fields would have made enough ‘dough’ to support family.

Unilateral decision

That the decision to introduce such a rule was taken unilaterally without consulting the stake-holders in the State has also rubbed many in the wrong way. Since medical education is a concurrent subject for Central and State Governments, the medical fraternity believes that a thorough study of ground realities should have been done before arriving at such a decision.

The question now is whether the medicos should not look a gift horse in the mouth?

“For the uninitiated, this may look as if the Government is doing everything but the medicos are not. Our State alone produces 4,000 medical graduates annually while the openings at primary health centres (PHCs) vary between 700 and 800. How are you going to utilise so many of them? A mere tweaking of MBBS syllabus is all it takes to adjust one-year service within the normal time-frame of a MBBS degree,” points out Dr. C.L. Venkat Rao.

‘Illogical’

The opposition from the undergraduates from all the medical colleges in the State has been vociferous to say the least. Even the State chapter of Indian Medical Association has denounced the move by terming it as ‘illogical’. “Have they conducted any kind of studies in South East Asian countries, Europe or even USA? What service the medicos would provide when there is no infrastructure at PHC level?” asks president of State chapter of IMA Dr. E. Ravinder Reddy.

To relate to the travails of medical students, one must understand the timeframe of undergraduate, post-graduate and super-speciality courses. The MBBS degree is a five-and-a-half year course which includes one-year house surgeon course. In this one-year house surgeon course, the medicos have three months mandatory rural service at PHCs.

“Post-graduate and Super PG degrees are five more years. If you take out six months for preparation, then it adds to 11 years. That’s the reason why, number of students appearing for EAMCET medical stream are decreasing. Everyone knows that there are several other avenues to make quick money. So who will pursue medicine?” asks Y. Gautham, president for AP Junior Doctors Association, Gandhi Medical College, who attended the Sambasiva Rao committee meeting, held at Tirupati recently.

After vociferous reactions, the Union Health Ministry set up the Sambasiva Rao committee to collect ‘reactions and opinions’ from the stake-holders in all parts of the country.