MCI amends rules to make rural posting must for docs wanting

The government today said Medical Council of India (MCI) has amended post graduate medical education regulations to make it mandatory for candidates seeking admission in post graduate courses to have served in rural areas for at least one year.
"MCI, with the previous approval of the Centre, has amended the Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations to make it mandatory that a candidate seeking admission in post graduate course should have served in rural areas, i.E, primary health centres for at least one year," Minister of Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad told Rajya Sabha in a written reply to a query.

He also admitted that there were reports of instances of misuse of NRHM funds in some states, but said it would not be correct to infer that funds allocated under the scheme are not properly used in rural areas.
Azad said monitoring mechanisms have already been put in place by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for adherence to financial procedures and proper financial utilisation of funds under NRHM.
These include submission of quarterly financial monitoring reports by states, annual statutory audits, concurrent audits, visits by teams of financial management group of the ministry to states for periodical financial reviews.

The Ministry had also requested Comptroller & Auditor General for conducting annual transaction audits of National Rural Health Mission in all the states from the financial year 2011-12 in order to identify the existing gaps, facilitate independent monitoring and timely corrective measures so that a quality and timely audit assessment becomes available to assist the state governments in undertaking remedial measures and achieving the targets of NRHM, Azad said.
He said the implementation of NRHM in states is reviewed through Common Review Missions and periodical reviews by the ministry.
"The deficiencies or shortcomings noticed during the reviews are immediately brought to the notice of the states for remedial action," Azad said.