GUWAHATI, Aug 23 - The Assam State Branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has stated in a statement here that it has taken strong exception to the government�s version and decision on medical education and rural health scenario. It has urged the government to disclose its estimate as to how an amount varying between Rs 60 lakh and Rs 1 crore, is spent on medical education.
It has questioned as to whether the government is taking into account the salaries of medical teachers and other staff who are also treating and managing 1,000 to 1,500- bedded hospitals and whether it would disclose the State expenditure involved in other professional and technical courses also.
The IMA has vehemently protested against the government's decision to charge Rs 20 lakh and Rs 50 lakh respectively in case the doctors after MBBS fail to serve in the rural areas for 10 years and after post graduation for another 10 years respectively. If a doctor spends the initial 23 years of life in rural areas (10 years after MBBS, 3 years for PG course and 10 years after post graduation), then what will be left in his, or her career, wondered the State branch of the IMA.
Such a decision of the Government will be nothing but grudging and cruel, it said and questioned whether there is any such compulsion in other services.
The government's decision will discourage the parents, save the ones who have the capacity to pay the penalty amounts, to send their children to the medical colleges, it said.
Instead of such aggressive approach, the IMA branch has requested the government to study the ground reality and develop the required infrastructure for improving the rural healthcare sector.
It has also questioned as to how the government evaluates the services rendered by the doctors in the urban areas, when it (government) alleged that despite spending hefty sums of public money on their education, many of the doctors are not providing service to the people.
However, the IMA branch has agreed with the State's Health Minister that now less number of students come from rural areas to study medicine.
The reason behind is the medical education has become town or citycentric with the facility for medical entrance coaching being available in the towns and cities.
The IMA requested the government to take measures to help the rural students in getting themselves admitted to the medical colleges.
