The new state management under Uddhav Thackeray has stayed a decision by the Devendra Fadnavis government to reserve 10% MBBS and 20% postgraduate medical seats for doctors who are willing to work in rural and tribal areas for five and seven years respectively. However, unlike other decisions, this decision has upset many, who believe that the policy should hold assurance and ensure a steady pool of doctors to serve in interior Maharashtra over the years.

On Wednesday, Mantralaya sources confirmed the decision was subject to review. On September 9, the decision of earmarking seats was passed by Fadnavis’ cabinet and subsequently there were plans to introduce a bill to make it a law. It had a clause of imprisonment for five years, and cancellation of degrees for those availing the quota but failing to serve in rural areas. Public hospitals could have secured services of 450 MBBS and 300 PG doctors every year.

A top state health official said that it is not good news and was anassured way of getting doctors in rural hospitals without the state having to pay an extrapenny. At present, despite offering open packages running into several lakhs, they don’t have gynaecologists, paediatricians and anaesthetists in areas like Melghat, Gadchiroli, Nandurbar and Jalgaon.

The officer added that hospitals at Akkalkuwa in Nandurbar, Bhamragad and Etapalli in Gadchiroli, Chikhaldara in Amravati, Salekasa in Gondia, and Mokhada in Palghar are among the worst hit, as MBBS doctors don’t want to work there and the specialists too. There are three to four times more maternal deaths occurring in these areas as compared to the rest of the state.

Dr Abhijit More of Jan Swasthya Abhiyan said the Thackeray government should have reserved that decision. He said that the Common Minimum Programme mentioned filling up of vacancies in the public health system, but it won’t happen if the doctors don’t wish to work there.

Many of them had questioned the reservation policy, assuming the state’s failure to effectively implement the bond service. Amrut Bang of non-profit Nirman, working in Gadchiroli, said the reservation policy was good in principle, but the state will have its first batch of doctors only after five years. Till then, the requirement will be higher with increasing population, while good implementation of bond service would actually mean getting doctors immediately.

The state official said that the bond system had given students an option to pay and skip the service, which quota students cannot do.

Source: ET Healthworld