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The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government’s proposals to make it mandatory for all medical students to serve in rural areas and to introduce a course in community medicine will not be dumped by the Centre. On Monday, Union Health Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said the rural posting policy that drew a lot of opposition would not be dropped and medical students would have to spend a year in the rural areas.

“We have written to the Medical Council of India and other associations [communicating the decision], they seem to be receptive to the idea. The UPA did not pursue the issue of mandatory rural posting, there was a lot of opposition to it, but after brainstorming in the Ministry, we have decided that students pursuing their post graduate studies will have to spend a year in rural areas,” Dr. Vardhan said, presenting the Ministry’s achievements in the first-hundred days.

In 2012, the UPA government had announced that all medical students will have to spend a year working in rural areas before getting their MBBS degrees, and they would be attached with the National Rural Health Mission during the year-long rural posting. The proposal was not pursued after widespread protests from the students.

Doctors’ shortage

Referring to the proposal and the shortage of qualified doctors and paramedical staff in the country, Dr. Vardhan has said the idea to start a B.Sc. in Community Medicine will also be followed up. “It is a good scheme, after three years of training; we will have health workers who will be qualified to work at sub centres. If any State government wants to start this programme, it should be promoted.”

Dr. Vardhan, has said the Centre, which is currently drawing up a new comprehensive health policy, will also undertake a “radical transformation” of all regulatory bodies like the MCI and the dental council. “There will be zero tolerance for corruption and inefficiency,” he said.