Frame policy on compulsory rural service for doctors: SC

Highlights

• Noting that the government spends huge money on each medical student, SC said the condition is not illegal and arbitrary and is meant to ensure that specialist healthcare is extended to rural areas.
• A student has to execute a bond at the time of admission to postgraduate and super speciality courses in government colleges that they would serve in public hospitals and health centres after completing the course.

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has upheld the compulsory bond condition imposed by states for students taking admission in PG and speciality courses in government medical colleges and asked the Centre to frame a policy to make it mandatory for them to serve in public hospitals in rural areas for a certain period after passing out.

Noting that the government spends huge money on each medical student, a bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and Hemant Gupta on Tuesday said the condition is not illegal and arbitrary and is meant to ensure that specialist healthcare is extended to rural areas.

As the conditions imposed by states are not uniform and the compulsory service period varies from 2-5 years while the bond amount is different across states and goes up to Rs 50 lakh, the court fixed the service period at two years and penalty at Rs 20 lakh.

As per the conditions imposed by states, a student has to execute a bond at the time of admission to postgraduate and super speciality courses in government colleges that they would serve in public hospitals and health centres after completing the course.

The court asked the Centre and Medical Council of India to frame a uniform policy to be applicable across the country. “Taking note of the fact that certain state governments have rigid conditions in the compulsory bonds to be executed by the appellants (students)..., we suggest that suitable steps be taken by Centre and MCI to have a uniform policy regarding the compulsory service to be rendered by doctors who are trained in government institutions,” it said.

So far Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Bengal have imposed provision for compulsory service.

The SC said the objective behind the policy is to protect the fundamental right of the deprived sections to have basic health services. “No doubt the government is rendering this obligation by opening hospitals and health centres, but in order to make it meaningful, it has to be within the reach of its people...,” it said.