The GOA is trying to get health care professionals in the rural areas who will hold 3-year health care diplomas.
Several questions arise: The GOA's attempt to get health-care to rural areas is laudable, since many of the MBBS (who took Govt. aid) refuse to work in rural areas. . This scheme of the GOA says that (a) the GOA has no control over doctors it helped educate. Why is there no mandatory 2-year stint in the rural areas for doctors who have taken aid from the Govt.? Further, why is the rural population taken for granted by the GOA that the health-care they can get will only be from professionals with a 3-year diploma? Is the rural population dispensable? Doctors' groups are also protesting this move by the GOA. It is surprising that their concern is not rural health, but one of a pecuniary nature. This statement says it all "How can you expect a doctor to take up a job in a far-flung area with a salary as meagre as Rs 5000-6000?" the secretary of the state unit asked." On one side you have a set of doctors that have taken full advantage of tax Rs. for their education, and once they have their MBBS, are not willing to help out. And on the other, you have the GOA, which is willing to subsidize rural health, as it has no control over doctors it paid to educate. Maybe someone else has a better take on this situation. --Ram Doctors mock Dispur diploma army A STAFF REPORTER Guwahati, June 26: The Tarun Gogoi government's plan to create an army of diploma-holding healthcare professionals for Assam's doctor-starved rural belt has run into trouble with the Indian Medical Association (IMA) deciding to move court against "the attempt to produce medics worse than Munnabhai MBBS". The Assam chapter of the IMA today said it was awaiting relevant legal information from its parent organisation to present a strong case against the government in Gauhati High Court. The chief minister announced on Friday that a three-year diploma course in rural healthcare would begin in September at the newly-established Medical Institute of Jorhat, located within the premises of Jorhat Civil Hospital. He said the idea was to create a stream of healthcare professionals between paramedics and doctors. "Since most doctors are reluctant to serve in rural areas, we hit upon this idea so that the state's rural populace does not have to run to towns to get even minor health problems treated. It will save time and money. It will generate employment. If the disease is serious, rural health practitioners will refer the case to referral centres." J.K. Gogoi, secretary of the IMA's state unit, described the move as the "worst possible solution" to the reluctance of doctors to serve in the rural areas. "Munnabhai MBBS was at least trying to get a full degree," he said, alluding to the wannabe doctor played by actor Sunjay Dutt in the Bollywood comedy of the same name. The IMA functionary said the government was obviously indulging in a political gimmick with an eye on the Assembly elections next year. "But our association will not allow the government to toy with people's health. We have apprised our headquarters in New Delhi about the decision and asked it to furnish details of the cases it has filed against similar attempts by other state governments." The condensed syllabus proposed by Dispur is modelled on the Licensed Medical Practitioner course. Students who pass out will, however, not be entitled to recognition from the Medical Council of India or be able to practise anywhere other than a rural area. The IMA said the government should have improved healthcare infrastructure in the rural belt instead of introducing such a course. "There have been instances of doctors posted in rural areas not being provided even writing pads for prescriptions. The salary structure is bad, too. How can you expect a doctor to take up a job in a far-flung area with a salary as meagre as Rs 5000-6000?" the secretary of the state unit asked. He said the IMA had decided to "adopt" some villages. "We have 42 branches and each will select at least five villages, where our members will hold health camps at regular intervals. We have already adopted four villages in Tezpur and Bijni." _______________________________________________ Assam mailing list [email protected] http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/listinfo/assam Mailing list FAQ: http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/assam/assam-faq.html To unsubscribe or change options: http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/options/assam
