Thiruvananthapuram: The decision of the directorate of medical education (DME) to increase the bond period for admissions to super-specialty PG medical courses from one year to three years has kicked up a row. The decision was included in the prospectus for the PG super-specialty course. Medical students have come up against the decision as it is against their interest.
The decision to increase the bond to three years was taken in 2009 but withdrawn following protest. The government tried to increase the bond period in 2012. However, a strong agitation by graduates, super- specialty doctors, house surgeons and senior residents forced them to withdraw the move.
The decision of the DME was reportedly in the wake of the Medical Council of India (MCI) citing lack of enough doctors in the state medical colleges. The prospectus says that the compulsory service was applicable not only for serving doctors, who are admitted in service quota, but also other candidates.
As per an order “the post-graduate students upon completion of the course should undergo a compulsory senior residency programme for a period of three years by executing a bond. The prospectus pointed out that those who get admitted in government quota were bound to serve the state government.
The students alleged that the government move was to deploy people through backdoor to meet the shortage of doctors in government medical college sector. The allegation was that the decision of the DME was in the wake of the Medical Council of India (MCI) citing deficiencies of senior residents in government medical colleges in the state. The MCI has been refusing approval for fresh intakes due to these deficiencies.
