The State government has decided to do away with the stipulation that postgraduate medical students, on completion of their course, should compulsorily serve in a government hospital for one year, giving a major relief to students pursuing their PG medical courses.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who made the announcement on Thursday, said the government would introduce a Bill for this in the coming session of the legislature, and the decision would come into effect from the next academic year. Officials concerned have been directed to ensure that PG medical students, who would be completing their degree this year, be registered without one-year service.
Currently, it is mandatory for PG students to work in a government hospital for one year for ensuring that their degree is registered. Students, however, had been demanding a rethink on the condition and it could rather be made optional.
They had been representing that working in a government hospital was helpful for students who plan to pursue career in teaching. According to the new norms introduced by the Medical Council of India, students who serve as senior resident doctors for a minimum of one year would be eligible to apply for the post of assistant professor and the government could make the condition optional so that only those who were interested in teaching could apply for it.
Mr. Rao took note of the request and said there was no need to enlist the PG medical students for government service as the government had initiated steps to appoint adequate staff in State-run institutions. The government had scrapped the compulsory rural service condition for MBBS students in 2016.
It was of the view that the amount that was being spent on payment of stipend to PG medical students posted in rural areas was not yielding desired results as they were not performing their duties on the expected lines.
