Health minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey interacts with visitors at his janata darbar in Patna on Tuesday. Picture by Ashok Sinha

Patna, Jan. 17: Willingness to work in rural areas could matter for admission to postgraduation medical courses.

Miffed over the poor response to the state government’s initiative to appoint 400 specialist doctors in primary health centres (PHCs), the health department is planning to admit only those in postgraduation courses who are willing to work in rural areas. Health minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey made this announcement at his janata darbar in the state capital today. The minister, however, said the department is still working out the procedure to ensure that students planning to pursue postgraduation from government-run medical colleges join village hospitals.

Choubey regretted the fact that not many doctors are interested in working in rural areas.

“We had tried to appoint around 400 doctors as paediatricians, gynaecologists, anaesthetists and surgeons through Bihar Public Service Commission examination. We got over 1,500 applications and a panel was set up to conduct the interviews. However, more than 250 candidates backed out over the issue of posting and only 172 joined the services,” said Choubey.

“Most of them preferred posting in and around Patna, which is not possible. It is unfortunate that specialist doctors are not open to the idea of working in rural hospitals. We are now thinking of admitting only those MBBS students in postgraduation courses in our medical colleges who agree to work in block and village-level hospitals after completing their studies,” he added.

On the ways the department plans to execute the idea, the minister said: “We could put this condition at the time of admission or ask for a similar undertaking from the students. It will soon be decided.”

The announcement, meanwhile, has evoked negative reactions from doctors and medicos pursuing postgraduation. Most of them said the condition was unreasonable, and if implemented, would be “coercive ” on the part of the government on young medicos.

“Most doctors dread going to PHCs and additional PHCs because of the complete lack of infrastructure and facilities. Instead of strengthening these, the government is trying to bully doctors by planning such measures. If we are given lucrative pay packages on a par with those of central government as well as rural allowance, residential facility, security and resources, we do not mind serving rural people at the PHCs and even lower-level hospitals,” said Dr Sant Sevi, a medico at Patna Medical College and Hospital.

Meanwhile, reiterating his stand of taking strong action against those government doctors who ask patients to buy medicines from the market instead of the hospital store, Choubey said the defaulters will be booked under criminal cases.

He said official letters were being sent to civil surgeons of all 38 districts and superintendents of medical colleges to implement the guidelines.

The government is also in the process of putting a cap over the fee charged by private technical intuitions for auxiliary nurse and midwife courses in the state. A committee constituted by the health department, following complaints by a group of aspirants, has recommended that institutes should not charge more than Rs 45,000 for the course. Choubey said a final decision in the matter was yet to be taken.