Fresh medical graduates to serve in rural areas for 3 years

Giving a fillip to the sagging health services in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said that it will be mandatory for fresh medical graduates to serve for three years in rural areas while the performance of government doctors, nurses and medical staff would be evaluated for awards.

“It will be made compulsory for MBBS passouts to serve in villages for the first three years to build up their careers. My government will give you jobs,” Banerjee said after a meeting with health officials at the Swasthya Bhavan.

The state government would bring back the young doctors after three years who would thereafter be given opportunity to do their MS and higher studies, she said.

Stating that there would be awards for good performance in state hospitals, clinics and primary health centres, she said that she had asked Health Secretary Sanjay Mitra to evaluate the performance of doctors, nurses and medical staff.

Banerjee asked government doctors who drew 30 per cent non-practicing allowance, to be more punctual and dutiful and serve patients over and above their duty hours.

She also urged doctors holding responsible positions in large hospitals to visit sub-divisional and local hospitals so that patients felt they were 'in the company of gods' and which would help their cure. She reiterated that government hospitals should not refuse patients and said that the state government had recruited 2,500 nurses and would appoint more doctors to meet the situation.