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Sunday, December 27, 2009

Rural stint will fetch docs extra PG marks

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Rural-stint-will-fetch-docs-extra-PG-marks/articleshow/5379228.cms

BANGALORE: Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad is dangling a carrot for medical professionals with a view to improving healthcare in villages

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-- do a one-year rural stint, get 10% marks in the national medical exam for post-graduate courses. Further, a two-year stint will fetch 20% marks, three years 30% marks.

Announcing the policy here on Friday, Azad said several modifications were being made to the Medical Council of India rules, under which an MBBS graduate would be entitled to additional marks while undergoing the PG course. He was speaking after inaugurating the modernized M S Ramaiah Medical Teaching Hospital.

The move to link marks with the village deputation, he hoped, would get more people to volunteer to work in rural areas, at a time when the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) was suffering because of the unwillingness of many doctors to serve in remote areas.

This scheme would be available for new graduates. Older doctors, who have been serving in rural areas for three years or more, will be able to avail of 50% reservation for diploma courses.

Praising the southern states for being on par with several developed nations in terms of healthcare, he pointed out that the doctor-to-patient ratio needed to be brought down from the existing 1:1600 to 1:500.

To encourage more medical institutions in the country to fill the gap, he announced that the land required to set up a medical college had been brought down from the existing 25 acres to 20 acres. "In case of northeastern states, where it is hilly, the concession is that the 20 acres can be in two pieces -- which are within a radius of 10km. In case of bigger cities with a population of 20 lakh or more, the ministry will allow a medical hospital to be set up on 10 acres, taken vertically, not horizontally," Azad said.

Human resources, or rather the lack of it, has been affecting both private and government hospitals. Emphasizing that there would be no scope for touts in the ministry, Azad also said that the teacher-to-student ratio in case of specialty and super-specialty students would be raised from the existing 1:1 to 1:2. This would lead to an additional 700 specialty and 700 super-specialty students graduating every year. To fill the shortage of nurses, 200-260 nursing colleges would be opened all over the country, enabling an additional 20,000 nurses to graduate every year.

On H1N1, Azad said most countries had introduced the vaccine without conducting human or animal trials. In India, animal trials had been conducted and human trials would be started in February or March. The vaccine was likely to be ready by April 2010.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/43325/rural-stint-fetch-docs-rewards.html

Rural stint to fetch docs rewards
Bangalore, Dec 26, DH News Service :

The Centre on Friday announced a set of attractive incentives for doctors for working in the rural areas.


Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said here on Friday that doctors with MBBS degrees who serve in the rural areas for three years will be allotted 30 per cent more marks in the National Entrance Examination (NEE).

Quota in diploma

Besides, doctors who fail to get a diploma seat, even though they have served three years in the hinterland, will be given 50 per cent reservation for diploma in MD.

Azad’s proposals come in the wake of the acute shortage of doctors that the Centre is faced with in implementing the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).

Although NRHM is a milestone that the UPA government has achieved, the mission is facing a number of problems due to the lack of doctors.

“To reduce the gap in health facilities in the rural and urban areas and to encourage doctors to work in villages, any MBBS doctor who will work in the rural areas for one year will get 10 per cent and those for two years 20 per cent marks, respectively, in NEE,” Azad said. The new scheme will be applicable for freshers who choose to enter medical education.

Azad said the shortage of doctors could be gauged from the fact that there was just one doctor for every 1,600 patients, where as the actual ratio should be one doctor for every 500 patients. Of the 300 medical colleges in the country, 150 colleges were in the private sector, with 80-85 per cent of the colleges located in south India, mainly in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

He said private hospitals have a total of 12,22,000 beds, compared to only five lakh beds in government hospitals. “Of the 12-13 lakh doctors, 60 per cent of them leave the country to work abroad. We wish to make certain changes in the Medical Council of India rules to retain them and their services,” Azad said.


http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Grace+marks+for+doctors+for+rural+clinics&artid=aTNsTceT|3Y=&SectionID=Qz/kHVp9tEs=&MainSectionID=wIcBMLGbUJI=&SectionName=UOaHCPTTmuP3XGzZRCAUTQ==&SEO=

Grace marks for doctors for rural clinics

Express News ServiceFirst Published : 26 Dec 2009 08:33:23 AM ISTLast Updated : 26 Dec 2009 01:23:00 PM IST
BANGALORE: Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad has said that his ministry has come out with certain changes in the MCI regulations, with an aim to provide better healthcare services to the rural population.
He was speaking at the inauguration of the modernised MS Ramaiah Medical Teaching Hospital on Friday.
As per the new guidelines, any MBBS doctor serving in rural area either on ad hoc or contractual basis for one year, would get 10 per cent marks in national entrance examination.
Similarly, if he or she spends two years, he or she will get 20 per cent marks. For spending three years, 30 per cent marks would be allocated in the national entrance examination.
The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) was suffering because of doctors did not want to work in primary healthcare centres (PHCs) or hospitals in rural areas due to the inadequate working facilities, Azad said. The Minister maintained that it was difficult to push the doctors to work at the PHCs.
South on top “There are 300 medical education institutes in the country, of which 50 per cent are in the private sector and 80 per cent of the institutes are situated in the southern part of the country.
Consequently, the southern states are far better compared to other areas in providing healthcare services,” he said.
The Minister also announced concessions offered to start more private medical institutes.
“For the northern and hilly states, the establishment of a institute is now allowed on 20 acres of land, instead of the stipulated 25 acres,” the Minister said.
He said quality education and proper human resource management would boost medical tourism in the country.
Responding to a query on new appointment to the post of director at NIMHANS as the term of the current director was coming to an end on January 31 next year, the Health Minister said that a search committee would be set up for the appointment of the right candidate, as the number of candidates applying for the post was large. Bangalore, December 25 UNION Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad has said that his ministry has come out with certain changes in the MCI regulations, with an aim to provide better healthcare services to the rural population.
He was speaking at the inauguration of the modernised MS Ramaiah Medical Teaching Hospital on Friday.
As per the new guidelines, any MBBS doctor serving in rural area either on ad hoc or contractual basis for one year, would get 10 per cent marks in national entrance examination.
Similarly, if he or she spends two years, he or she will get 20 per cent marks. For spending three years, 30 per cent marks would be allocated in the national entrance examination.
The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) was suffering because of doctors did not want to work in primary healthcare centres (PHCs) or hospitals in rural areas due to the inadequate working facilities, Azad said. The Minister maintained that it was difficult to push the doctors to work at the PHCs.
South on top “There are 300 medical education institutes in the country, of which 50 per cent are in the private sector and 80 per cent of the institutes are situated in the southern part of the country.
Consequently, the southern states are far better compared to other areas in providing healthcare services,” he said.
The Minister also announced concessions offered to start more private medical institutes.
“For the northern and hilly states, the establishment of a institute is now allowed on 20 acres of land, instead of the stipulated 25 acres,” the Minister said.
He said quality education and proper human resource management would boost medical tourism in the country.
Responding to a query on new appointment to the post of director at NIMHANS as the term of the current director was coming to an end on January 31 next year, the Health Minister said that a search committee would be set up for the appointment of the right candidate, as the number of candidates applying for the post was large.
H1N1 vaccine by March-end
The Health Minister said that the clinical trials for H1N1 vaccines were still going on. The clinical trials on animal and human beings would be over by January and the vaccines will be launched by either end of March or beginning of April next year. The Health Minister said that the clinical trials for H1N1 vaccines were still going on. The clinical trials on animal and human beings would be over by January and the vaccines will be launched by either end of March or beginning of April next year.

Thursday, December 03, 2009

Govt cannot be forced to give quotas: Supreme Court

From http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/73303/India/Govt+cannot+be+forced+to+give+quotas:+Supreme+Court.html

The Supreme Court on Wednesday held that citizens belonging to backward classes, including scheduled castes (SC) and scheduled tribes (ST), could not move courts to force the government to provide them reservation.

A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Justice P. Sathasivam and Justice J.M. Panchal noted that the government was the best judge to take a decision on reservation and it could not be claimed as a matter of fundamental right.

Dismissing petitions seeking a direction to the Haryana government to provide reservation to SCs and STs in post-graduate medical courses, the bench pointed out that it was for the state governments to decide whether to provide reservation or not.

"In our view, every state can take its own decision with regard to reservation depending on various factors," the bench observed. "Article 15(4) (of the Constitution) does not make any mandatory provision for reservation and the power to make reservation under Article 15(4) is discretionary and no writcan be issued to effect reservation," the bench held.

The bench accepted the contention of the state government that Article 15(4) - whichprovided for reservation in educational institu-tions - was merely an "enabling provision"which entitled the government to provide forreservation. Though the judgment pertained to reserva-tion in educational institutions, Article 16(4)which provided for reservation in public employment was also couched in a simi-lar language.

The bench specifically recorded in its judg-ment that "sub-clause (4) in both Articles 15and 16 is only an enabling provision for the stategovernment to bring forward legislation or passan executive order for the benefit of socially andeducationally backward classes of citizens andfor the Scheduled Castes andScheduled Tribes".

Thus, a policy decision to pro-vide reservation, unless unreason-able, would be protected by arti-cles 15(4) and 16(4) from beingassailed before courts but a peti-tion could not be filed to force thegovernment to provide reservaprovide for mandatory reservation.

Holding that Article 15( 4) did not make a mandatory provision for reservation, the bench pointed out that the principle behind the provision was that " preferential treatment can be given validly when the socially and educationally backward classes need it". It further accepted the contention that the state government was the competent authority to decide the reservation in the state.

The petitioners, who had challenged the decision of the state government not to provide reservation in post- graduate medical courses, had pointed out that several states had provided reservation to SCs and STs at the postgraduate level. They pointed out that the All India Institute of Medical Sciences also provided reservation to SCs and STs in post- graduate medical courses.

The bench rejected an argument that the state government was bound to follow the policy of the central government which had provided for reservation in postgraduate medical courses. Rejecting the argument, the court said " the same ( policy) automatically cannot be applied in other selections where state governments have the power to regulate." Article 15( 4) states that the government could not be prevented from " making any special provision for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes". Though it gives the state ( government) the right to provide reservation for the backward classes, it does not give the latter a corresponding right to claim reservation as a right.

Opposing the petition, the state government had argued that it had taken a conscious decision of not providing reservation to SC/ ST categories in admission at the post- graduate level and " such a decision of the government suffers no infirmity". The state government said the matter regarding reservation of seats in the PG courses had been considered by it from time to time and the decision had been taken keeping in view the recommendations of the Medical Council of India and decisions in some other states.

" Since the government of Haryana has decided to grant reservation for SC/ ST categories/ backward class candidates for admission at MBBS level i. e.

undergraduate level then it does not mean that it is bound to grant reservation at the postgraduate level also," Justice Sathasivam, who wrote the judgment for the bench, said.

Though the court dismissed the petitions, it said Haryana government would, however, be free to reconsider its decision. " However, we make it clear that irrespective of above conclusion, the state of Haryana is free to reconsider its earlier decision, if it so desires, and circumstances warrant in the future years," the bench clarified.

The word of law
Article 15: Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, birth place 15( 4) Nothing in this Article... shall prevent the state from making any special provision for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for the SCs and the STs.

Article 16: Equality of opportunity in public employment 16( 4) Nothing in this Article shall prevent the state from making provisions for the reservations in favour of any backward class of citizens, which the state feels are not adequately represented in the services under the state.