MD, MS doctors to serve in govt hospitals for at least 1 yr after PG: HC

Kolkata: The Calcutta high court in its judgment said that MD and MS doctors can serve in government hospitals for one year after completion of their post graduate courses reducing the earlier tenure of minimum three years set by the state government.

The decision came after around 139 doctors moved to the Calcutta high court challenging the decision of the state government.

The Calcutta High Court rejected the notification issued by the government in 2014 which made it compulsory for the MD and MS doctors to serve in government hospitals for three years. The court also said that if any doctor does not serve in state-run hospitals at least for one year, he or she will be liable to pay Rs 10 lakh as fine.

The state government in the earlier notification said that MD and MS doctors have to serve in government hospitals for three years while Post Graduate diploma holders have to serve in the state-run hospitals for a minimum period of two years, failing to which they have to pay Rs 10 lakh.

It may be mentioned here that after coming to power, the Mamata Banerjee government dealt strongly with the young doctors' reluctance to work in rural areas.

It had made 3 Years of compulsory rural service for MBBS graduates in Bengal which it thought would lead to the improvement in Bengal.

The main motto of the government was to ensure better healthcare infrastructure in the rural areas.

The government had also promised that the MBBS doctors who would serve in rural hospitals would be given incentives and additional marks in their post graduate studies.

The government also said that it would provide them jobs who will serve in the rural areas after completing MBBS courses. It was also said that after their three years' stint the doctors would be brought back.